


From the Depths

by Hinarah59



Category: Persona 3, Persona 4, Persona 5
Genre: All Characters Are Important, Gen, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, but these two are the main focus
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-18
Updated: 2020-06-18
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:41:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 22,692
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21848710
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hinarah59/pseuds/Hinarah59
Summary: Akechi Goro somehow survives the ordeal of Shido's palace and finds himself in the hands of the Shadow Operatives who are determined to uncover the truth of the Phantom Thieves. However, the former detective finds their methods... questionable.He finds it hard to tell if they intend to persecute him as they should.
Relationships: Akechi Goro & Amada Ken
Comments: 22
Kudos: 149





	1. Questions

**Author's Note:**

> I have like...four whole story concepts like this one sitting in my drafts, unfinished. Idk if I ever will but if people express enough interest, I might be obliged to continue! Then again, I'm busy with school projects and assignments, apart from the occasional break. I'll try to make sense of my drafts and have these stories dished out whenever I can.  
I really do enjoy the thought of Goro being part of the Operatives, if only to keep Ken company what with the age similarities.

Aigis was the one who found him, draped over a tree branch on the far end of the fenced land of the Diet Building. She had been in the area with Akihiko per Mitsuru’s orders to see if they could get a word in with the leader of the Phantom Thieves who had turned himself in just the day before. The reading was faint, but she could sense someone within the area, unmoving, on the obscure side of the government facility.

After the meeting, the blonde had taken off without a word towards the back of the facility and jumped the fence, much to Akihiko’s bewilderment. He did not have time to be impressed, however, as Aigis was back out in no time with a limp body in tow. They gave Fuuka a quick call about the camera footage for good measure, even if it was dark out and there was not a camera in sight nearby, before heading back to headquarters.

During the car ride, the blonde was quick to identify the body and assess its condition. The results were...surprising, to say the least.

“Isn’t Akechi Goro that popular detective who went missing before elections?” the white-haired man stated more than he asked, trying to look carefully at the boy’s face but hardly recognising him, “How’d he get so beat up, and wind up on a tree branch near the Diet Building, of all places?”

The brunet’s face was scorched over his right eye and a little more of his forehead, the long hair that had covered his right ear was singed partway to expose red tips instead; and the dark patches reaching down his neck into his collar suggested that the burns covered more than just his head. If not for the shallow breathing through parted lips, one would have easily thought him dead.

At the moment, further diagnosis was not possible without careless prodding through the boy’s clothes, and to remove said obstructions themselves would be equally careless should they pull and break something. The two Operatives decide to leave such delicate work to the professionals once they reported back to Mitsuru.

That being said, Akihiko urged the driver to drive faster, worried that the longer they waited, the worse Goro’s condition might get. He had - at some point - thought it better to just send the boy straight to the hospital and file a police report. However, with the state and location the boy’s body was found and all the scandals regarding the government coming to light this Christmas; not to mention his initial disappearance, both he and Aigis thought it safer to tell Mitsuru about it first.

Upon arriving, they leave the boy in the care of the present maids and butlers who were skilled far beyond the boundaries of household assignments. Aigis follows them in case an emergency were to happen for her to report while Akihiko makes his way to practically barge into Mitsuru’s office. He knocks no more than three times before waiting a beat to push down the door handle and step into the room.

If Aigis had not given her a status report beforehand during the car ride, the redhead would have taken her time chastising him; but as it stands, there was urgent business to tend to when she asked, “How is he?”

“He’s with the staff now, hopefully he isn’t in any worse shape than when we found him,” Akihiko replied promptly, leaning his back against the door that had just swung back closed, “What’s your take on the situation?”

Mitsuru wasted no time in giving him her perspective, stating thoughtfully, “There’s a high chance his disappearance is tied to the Phantom Thieves, or even Shido Masayoshi. Fuuka has been looking through the profiles of suspected accomplices of Shido, alongside Shirogane who seems to have suspected Akechi ever since he was reported missing.”

According to one of her many theories, Goro could very well have been threatened by Shido Masayoshi or the Phantom Thieves into hiding, if he was not already dead like they once assumed the leader of the Thieves to be. Due to the boy’s publicised stance against the Phantom Thieves and supposedly firm belief in justice in general, she admitted her doubts of his involvement at all, if only in the hope that his word was to be trusted.

As much as they wanted to give Goro the benefit of doubt, no one could deny the fact that his disappearance was much too timely with regards to the Thieves’ leader’s interrogation and subsequent death, and their theatrical resurrection in the form of a nationwide broadcast. However, in the end, all they could do was theorise. There was no evidence, no real ground for said theories to be more than plausible.

The two adults in the room sighed in unison, Akihiko uttering finally, “Here’s hoping he wakes up and tells us something.”

Meanwhile, the boy in question lay unconscious. He slept upon a hospital bed in an otherwise regular-looking bedroom, his former attire had been carefully removed and set aside to wash as the staff identified and inspected his wounds. After dressing them where appropriate, trimming the scorched ends of his hair then evening the rest out, and putting him in a hospital gown, the head nurse reported Aigis the boy’s status.

As the blonde had initially suspected, the burns reached below his neck and down to his waist with his entire right arm covered in darkened patches of scorched skin. In addition to burns, they also discovered what appeared to be a bullet wound just below his collarbone where his shoulder muscle was torn; however, despite the absence of an exit wound and no sign of digging or prying, there was no bullet to be found within the flesh. The supposed bullet hole had yet to close which led them to believe it was recent.

They also found that the boy’s right eye - the one where the burns overlapped - was thankfully spared most of the damage and was very likely only partially blind if not at all. Simply from looking, it was difficult to gauge the damage done except for a rough estimate of heat that reached it and how soon the burn was cooled, seeing as there was no infection of injuries. He could not have been out for more than a day, reasonably.

The brunet also had a few fractured ribs with bruises littered over his chest and stomach, but nothing that several months of treatment and rest cannot undo unlike his aforementioned injuries. 

For now, Akechi Goro was to be kept under close watch by a nurse or an Operative at any and all times until further notice. With that, the blonde android turned to take her leave and report to Mitsuru, leaving the boy in custody to rest with his right arm in a cast hung by a sling from the ceiling, and bandages wrapped over the right half of his face, neck, chest and arm.

“What in the world was he doing to sustain such grievous injuries?” the redhead asked no one in particular, a grimace twisting her elegant face, “In any case, we should wait until he wakes up. I’ll update Shirogane on the details, I don’t doubt she’s curious as well.”

The detective had taken a personal interest in the case of the Phantom Thieves. In particular, their methods of “stealing hearts”; at least, that was her initial point of focus before the incident with Shujin’s principal and the President of Okumura Foods. Even if the Phantom Thieves ultimately proved themselves innocent regarding their deaths, it still brought along other questions; questions that then concerned more than just herself and the Shadow Operatives.

Changing people’s hearts that make them fess up to their crimes, causing mental shutdowns that result in a strange display of death or suicidal behaviour; while the first phenomenon was pretty much unheard of, the latter sounded awfully familiar. Based on the senior Shadow Operatives’ account, the glimpse of black ooze coming from Okumura’s face before the broadcast was interrupted looked similar to what happened to victims of Apathy Syndrome before they fell sick.

“The person’s shadow forcefully separates from its host, leaving behind a shell of what they used to be,” Mitsuru had recalled, “However, the person would still be alive, seemingly left to wander aimlessly which often resulted in fatal accidents. The cases reported on the news: psychotic breakdowns or mental shutdowns, they may be similar but they’re certainly far more extreme.”

Assuming  _ that _ world was truly the medium in which these incidents were caused, then a meeting with the Phantom Thieves was very much needed; and if the Thieves were not the culprits of the reported deaths by mental shutdowns, then the true culprit needed to be found immediately. That being said, with the leader of the Thieves arrested, it was only about time before they got answers.

Eventually, the weeks pass. The leader was sent to a youth detention centre to be interrogated and observed for an indefinite amount of time, charged for the more apparent crimes he and his group had committed, not to mention his past criminal record; but nothing detailing his methods of “stealing hearts”. Well, if the methods are what the Operatives were suspecting, such was only to be expected.

Word on the street is that supporters of the Thieves were making efforts to clear the boy’s name: asking around to try and prove he had been convicted on false charges for past crimes, collecting signatures for petitions, starting forums and making mentions of him on television and other media in hopes of giving him a good name. Whatever was going on out there, it was going big.

More importantly, the man of the hour had finally woken up.

“ _ Sanada Akihiko _ ,  _ Shirogane Naoto _ , and the one and only  _ Kirijo Mitsuru _ ,” the boy had named almost dreamily if not for the likely reason such renowned figures were in his presence to begin with, “To what do I owe this honor of meeting all three of you at once, in a single lifetime?”

If anyone picked up on his half-baked effort of flattery, they ignored it in favour of business. The true detective prince had sat themself on the chair by his hospital bed, legs closed and hands over one another upon their lap - as he had once mimicked - where a folder was placed. Steel blue eyes peered up at him from under a fashionable blue cap, an interrogation no doubt about to commence.

Behind them, the President of  _ the _ Kirijo Group and ever-popular-and-powerful police officer stood back solemnly as they watched the brunet’s every movement. The boy would like to wholly face them as a form of respect but, as it stands, he could hardly push himself up with both arms bound and the nurse’s advice for him to not move almost at all. If no one was helping him up, he supposed it was unnecessary either way.

‘“ _ Akechi Goro: reported missing just before elections on December 17’, _ ” Shirogane read from the documents in hand, “ _ Believed to have been missing since before then, when Shido Masayoshi was hospitalised due to minor complications with his health’ _ .”

The detective sets the papers upon his bedside and leans forward curiously.

“...and yet, here he is; battered and burned almost beyond recognition,” they marvelled unenthusiastically, “Having been found unconscious, up in a tree within the fenced premises of the Diet Building--”

The boy fails to suppress a rather ugly snort.

“I - I’m sorry, that surprised me,” slightly embarrassed now, he regains his composure to look at his interrogator - who had hardly even flinched - anyway, once more, “Please, continue.”

“--promptly after the arrest of the leader of the Phantom Thieves,” the detective finished their earlier sentence, then proceeding, “Rather convenient timing, if you ask me. However, we cannot draw any conclusions with just what the media tells us. Not to mention all these scandals coming to light after the Thief’s testimony aligning with Shido’s confession; I doubt putting you in the hands of the police is a good idea right now.”

_ Oh, that begs the question then _ ; Goro asked, “Aren’t you guys - technically - the police, too?”

They were not done speaking, though.

“Before we get into that, I have some questions for you,” Shirogane dodged effortlessly, “Firstly, can you recount what happened just before and during your absence?”

_ Straight to the point, I see _ . A lot had happened, so much that he was unsure of where to begin. In the first place, the question asked was not something he could answer without sounding batshit crazy so what could he say? Prior to his waking, he thought he was going to very well die and, even before that, he was just waiting for death to claim him; both in the form of drowning.

He would like to ask just how much of his crimes Shido had actually confessed, but he was in no position to ask questions when he himself had yet to answer his own share of it. However, it was relatively safe to assume a confession meant that the man has had a change of heart; the Phantom Thieves succeeded. Whatever Goro confessed to himself, he did not doubt the doomed politician would attest to in his current state.

_ Well, in that case, what did he have to lose, right _ ?

“I believe my last contact with anyone until now would be Shido Masayoshi himself, actually,” the brunet said outright, savouring what little surprise managed to surface upon the three faces before him, “He ordered for me to deal with the remaining Phantom Thieves, with their leader already dead at the time, but as you can see, I failed; ‘ _ battered and burned almost beyond recognition _ ’ from their retaliation.”

A stunned silence, although their stone cold expressions showed otherwise.

The adults seemed to be processing the revelation that was the detective celebrity turning out to be just another of Shido’s pawns, lips pursed and eyes wandering to the side in thought. Eventually, their eyes trained back onto him and Goro realised that they knew; they knew he was still withholding a lot of important details from them. It was not a tough guess, but it did not stop him from trying to keep certain secrets to himself.

“What can I say? Taking on all the Thieves at once really took a toll on me, I’m honestly surprised I came out alive at all,” he mused, dodging any mention of  _ that _ world as much as possible, “Well, I think that’s about all I remember: Shido gave me a call, ordered for the elimination of the Phantom Thieves who proved more troublesome than I had been prepared for. I was ultimately done in and left for dead until you guys found me.”

He heard Shirogane let out a long exhale, as if considering something, then reached back to his bedside table to flip through papers again. As much as Goro would like to turn his head to see exactly what they were reviewing, the bandages on his neck did not stop the burned skin underneath from causing friction and consequent pain. It was not nearly as bad as when he tried to move around with it unprotected or treated, but pain was pain.

“...I had planned to ask you a few more questions but there are some things I’d like to clarify first,” the detective finally sat back down with folders in hand once more, glancing up at him, “Since you were told to go after them, am I right to assume you know of the identities of each individual Phantom Thief?”

He breathed once, heard the clock tick twice, before he decided to give his curt answer, “I do.”

“Does Shido Masayoshi know?”

“Not that I know of.”

“Would you say that you’re the only one who knows?”

“...Yes.”

“Will you tell us who they are?”

The brunet sighed, “No.”

“Why not?” they continued to ask, unfazed by his apparent unwillingness to cooperate, “As one of Shido’s men, one would think it would be your goal to doom the Phantom Thieves who’ve exposed him. If not for Shido himself, then for your own self-preservation So, why?.”

_ Why, indeed _ . Actually, now that someone had asked him, he was curious as well. Why, after all that time he spent plotting against them; after all the pain he put them through; after all he lost as a result of shamefully losing to them,  _ why _ ? Thinking back to their final conversation in the engine room, he recalled the storm of emotions that had flooded his chest, unable to fully comprehend or even contain with how suddenly it hit him.

A light chuckle bubbled from his lips.

“Perhaps, I had a  _ change of heart _ ?”

Those metallic blue eyes blinked at his light-hearted answer in mild surprise, but they were not offended; hardly so, as they instead bowed their head with a hand to pull their cap further over a creeping smile. If not for the tender glimmer that made itself known within those eyes, Goro might have thought he imagined it when they looked back up with downturned lips once more.

“You’re one of them, then,” the detective stated more than she asked, “A Phantom Thief.”

His smile dropped.

“...that’s quite the accusation, Shirogane-san,” the boy laughed uneasily, “Which part of what I said made you come to such a conclusion?”

“For one, you refuse to rat them out,” they replied matter-of-factly, playing with the visor of her cap between her thumb and index, “Even though - if my deduction is right - you yourself were the one who ratted on their leader to begin with.”

“I don’t see how betraying their leader is a trait of a fellow Phantom Thief,” Goro reasoned before he could stop himself, that familiar mask of a pleasant smile already slipped on, “If anything, would I not have doomed the entire team by severing the head from the body?”

“Hardly,” they shot back immediately, “As a matter of fact, you’ve just spared the rest of the ‘ _ body _ ’ the suffering it may have gone through should you have offered them up in one piece. You were hoping to avoid that, were you not?”

The boy in question did not answer.

“However, as it turned out, you’re reasoning didn’t appease Shido, seeing as he still sent you out to take care of what remained,” they continued without waiting a second for a response, “Supposedly, you failed to do so and sustained grievous injuries as a result of their resistance.”

The folder was back on his bedside and the detective folded their arms.

“Well then, I have one final question before we’re done for today,” they announced, implying they would probably come back at a later date, and soon, “Are you familiar with the research of ‘ _ cognitive psience _ ’?”

“...No, not at all.”

“I see.”

...and the three of them leave.


	2. Her Wishes

_ Cognitive Psience _ ; that term sure brought back memories. Shido liked to boast about his possession of such valuable information, even though all he did to get it was sponsor Wakaba’s research by giving her a specimen to work with; said specimen would not even have been available had he not volunteered himself at all. The plan back then was to have someone see for themselves the reliability of Goro’s supposed “powers” without Shido having to sacrifice any valuable manpower.

Isshiki Wakaba was diligent in her work, almost blindly so from the moment the boy brought her to  _ that _ world. She was entranced by its nature, Goro could hardly count all the times he had almost gotten himself killed just to humour her theories about that world. If the boy did not cooperate, she threatened to tell Shido that his power was useless; although, thinking back on it now, she probably did not mean to actually scare him like that.

The first time he was reluctant to follow her orders, she had theorised that causing a ruckus in the palace would also put the owner on edge in the real world as it would vice versa; it meant Goro had to get caught a multitude of times while also ensuring Wakaba herself did not get caught along with him. The stakes were too high and the brunet had outright refused despite the raven’s insisted confidence in her own ability.

Then, she sighed in disappointment, “Oh, and here I thought I’d get to tell Shido good news. I guess I’ll just have to tell him you weren’t competent enough to give him any results.”

Caught up in her words, Goro had completely missed the playful intonation in her voice; completely missed her startled face when he scowled at her. He jumped right out of hiding and went almost rampant as he mowed down enemies that got too close for comfort on their tail, Wakaba doing her best to trail close behind. Eventually, the boy tired himself out and Shadows showed up at every turn; it was the researcher who ultimately dragged them both out of the danger zone.

The next day, their target had apparently become so paranoid about his misdeeds that he called in sick for work, holed himself up at home while his men guarded his door. He was a minor inconvenience to Shido’s plans, thus being the unfortunate guinea pig. While the raven had not seemed to be the type to overlook the humanity of her actions, it seemed that she had taken on a scientist’s stone, cold heart just to achieve results to jot down on her report. If their target should end up spiralling into madness, she could care less.

Which was exactly what happened.

“Do you remember the time I told you to make a scene in the palace?” she had asked one day, but her eyes avoided his, “You might not have noticed, but your mood seemed to have infected the enemies you engaged: they attacked more frantically but seemed to die more easily.”

Her dark eyes finally panned over to look up at his umber red ones, fearful...of  _ something _ .

“I want you to remember what you felt then…,” she requested more than she demanded, “...and defeat the palace owner’s shadow, but don’t kill him.”

It was a strange order, not to mention her strange intonation. However, he could not risk being labelled incompetent if he wanted to get close to Shido, so he did his best to do as he was told. The fear, the anger, the desperation; he was uncertain as to whether he even had to remember the particular event when the feelings welled up in him so naturally. Of course it did; Loki was born from such feelings, after all.

The next day, the target had presumably committed suicide: jumped from his apartment building’s top floor, a manic grin on his barely recognisable face. Shido did not have direct access to Wakaba’s research, but he did have access to Goro’s status reports; when he asked the boy what had happened, the answer had greatly impressed him. No doubt, he got more impatient with every report that followed.

Somewhere around the research’s 80% completion mark, Wakaba’s ideas had come to a standstill. Goro could remember how pale the raven’s face was, almost white as a ghost when contrasted with her dark hair and clothes; her eyes were sunken and she refused to look up at the boy who should have been the one under her thumb until recently.

With every theory she proved, with every word she put down in her research papers, it became apparent that her control over the brunet was slipping. Her word was reflective of Goro’s worth as one of Shido’s own, while she herself would eventually become a loose end. Both Wakaba and Goro were smart, both of them knew this; as such, both of them knew when the tables had inevitably turned.

Wakaba grew to fear Goro’s presence, but she could not stop her research there. She already had a hypothesis ready, but what she would ask the boy to do in order to prove it true would easily put her in deeper trouble than she already was. The brunet had already become too valuable an asset to Shido for her to use as leverage, too far from her reach to bring him down with her.

80%...

...she had already dug herself 80% into her own grave.

Goro was unsure of what she might have been thinking that day, but she had her forehead pressed into her palms when she said almost monotonously, “I have a daughter back home. She’s turning thirteen soon, which makes her a teenager. She doesn’t have a father, my husband left me early on so I’m the only one who can take care of her…”

She took a shaky breath.

“... _ I’m the only one _ .”

If his heart had not been hardened in favour of other ambitions, Goro thought he might have actually felt bad for her. Perhaps that was her intention. Perhaps she was hoping the boy would have mercy on her should he decide she was a liability. No matter her struggles, however, pleading with the brunet was hardly the way to go. No number of sob stories would stop Shido from doing as he pleased and, frankly, Goro himself had too much to lose by disobeying orders. If she was going to plea, she would have to take it to Shido instead.

With about as much grace as a zombie, she thought of everything they could possibly do in the palaces while using two more minor opponents to Shido’s cause. It took so little of Goro’s resistance - to anything life-threatening - before she caved and moved on to her next theory, that the brunet eventually went with every one of her hypotheses which have not already been debunked.

Both of them were definitely overworking themselves with how long and frequently they spent in the cognitive world, but if Goro was tired, what of a non-Persona-user like Wakaba? She even wrote it in her own reports that people without Personas were bound to feel more lethargic more quickly in the cognitive world, based on her own experience and witness to the boy’s increasing stamina within the palaces. No matter how much she forced herself to adapt, she would never keep up with Goro.

The last two targets’ shadows were killed, the first one to observe what happened to the real body and the other to observe what happened within the palace itself. Before that, the duo had run a few smaller tests by the Shadow guards just to double-confirm certain results. Goro was the one who asked if the other needed a break, but she insistently pushed forward.

Eventually, the time had come; Wakaba had completed her research to the best of her ability.

However, it was not over for her yet.

“They’re going to kill me, aren’t they?” the raven asked rhetorically when the brunet visited her lab as per usual, “More specifically,  _ you _ ...are going to kill me, right?”

Goro watched her silently, unresponsive.

Wakaba sat at her desk with her usual black dress, no sleeves; all her research was stacked to the side while the space before her remained empty. She had her arms folded there, head bowed with her back to the boy as she remained unfazed by his silence and overall lack of response. The colour of her skin had mostly returned to a healthy shade, albeit she was still mildly malnourished as she had been since her increasingly desperate struggles to meet Shido’s deadlines.

She soon swivelled in her chair to look at him, her eyes just a little more occupied than the past few weeks of sleep deprivation; it was good that she got some rest before the deadline, but that was the least of Goro’s concerns. His reason for visiting was simply to confirm the completion of her research documentation, no more and no less. Although with that being said, he wondered why he had not left yet.

A soft, tired chuckle pulls him out from his thoughts and he blinked at the woman before him in wordless confusion.

“Without the mask, you really do look like a harmless teenager,” she said quietly, as if talking to herself, with a sad smile upon her lips, “That’s certainly what I thought when I first worked with you. However, now I see that the mask has become one with your very own face; it’s dark and malicious, cold and unyielding.”

Goro could not say what that looked like, exactly, but he continued to listen quietly.

“Did I...make you like this, I wonder?” she asked, “In order to satisfy my curiosity, I made you kill people. A minor, a  _ child _ , being told to kill someone; I wonder when I had let myself overlook such things.”

Her sharp gaze had dulled over the months of research, more so now than ever. The noble blade that was her sharp mind and determined eyes had been sullied by her own selfish desires, put into the hands of a mere child who only grasped it out of desperation as he did her bidding. She did it to preserve her own image, to maintain her sanity as a mother to a child herself.

“I wonder what Futaba would think of this - of me - if she ever found out,” the raven laughed pitifully, “She’s a smart girl, young but so, very smart; I don’t doubt she’ll learn the truth about my research one day. When that day comes, I wonder if she’ll come to hate me?”

Wakaba looked down into her palms, and asked, “Tell me, Akechi-kun. Am I...a bad mother?”

The boy did not answer immediately.

“...Do you love your daughter?” he eventually spoke, surprising even himself with the question.

“Of course...Of  _ course _ , I do,” she practically sobbed.

Goro then sighed, but he did not know why, replying to her initial question, “Then, you’re good...probably.”

The raven did not look at him when she laughed, “What kind of answer is that?”

The boy found himself biting his bottom lip self-consciously, but it was clear that the researcher was just teasing him.

“...Thank you,” she said, before the brunet turned to leave at last.

When Goro reported to Shido in the afternoon, he received his very first mission as a means to prove his loyalty to the man. “ _ Kill Isshiki Wakaba _ ” were his orders, just as the researcher in question had predicted. The plan was to induce a psychotic breakdown in her, causing her to apparently commit suicide, which Shido’s men would then proceed to steal her research while reporting that she had destroyed it instead.

In case there was any doubt behind her motives that led to such actions, those men would falsify a will under her name to pin the blame on her daughter. They would make it appear like her destructive behaviour was simply a fit of maternal psychosis, and they would make sure to read it to her family just to keep them occupied; the Isshiki family would be caught up in their little feud, while being none the wiser that they had been duped.

The brunet could say nothing as he was met with a threatening glare behind orange shades, daring him to talk back. When he remained silent, the man behind the big desk dismissed him and Goro was out the door. He quickly left the building to return to Wakaba’s lab where he already knew her palace would be, his phone gripped at his side as he arrived sooner than he would have liked.

He had never tread upon her territory before; whether it was out of disinterest, respect or fear, he knew not but,  _ what did it matter now _ ? Clad in black and indigo, strapped in belts and buckles like that of an asylum patient, Goro sauntered into her palace with every intent to take as long as possible. As he went, he noticed how the Shadows within the palace made no effort to pursue him even though they were well aware of his presence.

The boy behind the black mask decided that it would not hurt to try and talk to a few of them, seeing as they simply watched him in resignation.

“ _ She’s waiting for you _ .”

“ _ If you’re gonna do it, hurry up _ .”

“ _ If you stay here for too long, Shido will get mad, you know _ .”

“ _ I know you have better things to do than staying and talking to me. Get going, brat. _ ”

“ _ Hey, have you met her daughter? I think she would have liked to stay with her longer but, it’s too late now. _ ”

Eventually, he reached Wakaba’s Shadow. The raven with glowing, gold eyes looked up upon his arrival, standing straight with her hands folded atop one another at her front as she made no move to fight or flee. She was in the same black dress he saw her in that morning, expression just as it was that morning, and words just as emotional as it was dead that morning.

“As expected of Akechi Goro, knowing the keywords to my palace even though we hardly ever talked outside work,” she praised with half-hearted pride, “You’re quite the detective.”

A loaded gun was raised and pointed to the Shadow’s head.

She laughed softly, “Well, you certainly took your time getting here. Did you want to ask me something?”

A  _ click _ . The safety was off.

“You know, during the early stages of my -  _ our _ \- research, I acted quite high and mighty towards Shido’s men,” she started to chat, a regretful but fond smile upon her lightly glossed lips, “I knew I was on to something great, I knew that our research would bear fruit to something amazing and, I guess I got too complacent.”

“...you certainly do have quite a few enemies,” the black mask admitted without thinking, only slightly surprised to hear his own voice after his initial silence since stepping into the palace.

Wakaba laughed, “Adults are petty like that. Makes me want to remain a child forever.”

A beat of silence.

Golden eyes wandered to the ground, a whisper, “...but I think I’m ready to grow up.”

It was strange hearing that from an adult, but Goro knew her well enough to expect it; even if that of itself was also strange.

“I’ve gone too far with my antics, I know this. I even yelled at my own daughter for taking up my spare time, when all of hers could only be spent  _ thinking _ of me because I was too busy to spend it _ with _ her instead,” she continued to monologue in the quiet palace, “I can’t believe _ I _ was the one who called her selfish.”

“Shido was pressing you to produce results, I think anyone would have been stressed out,” the boy in black offered, although he did not know why he cared, “I’m sure your daughter would understand.”

Wakaba let out a weak laugh, “I wonder. However, if I did miss deadlines, all I would have lost was my research. After all, the condition was that if I didn’t produce results, Shido would take you back from me and I wouldn’t have a specimen to play with.”

Her smile drops when she noticed Goro flinch at that last part; “ _ play _ '' she said.

“Sorry,” she muttered, but proceeded shortly after, “Hey, could you do me a favour?”

“ _ You’re in no place to demand me of any favours _ ,” the black mask snapped defensively, still slightly rattled from her earlier interpretation of him; but he forces himself to calm down and asked with caution, “What do you want?”

“Don’t let Futaba know about me, please,” she pleaded with a low bow, eventually falling upon her knees to beg, “Just this time - _ just one last time _ \- let me be selfish and continue playing as a “good mother” to her.”

Dark heels click as the black figure approached, the nozzle of his gun trained on her head. Wakaba made no move to avoid his advance, her forehead still pressed to the floor in silence as she awaited her fate more than his response. Regardless, both their time was up; Goro no longer had time to spare dawdling and delaying the woman’s demise, and she already knew.

“ _ I make no promises _ .”

** _Bang_ ** .

The next day, Isshiki Wakaba was reported to have committed suicide, having thrown herself into traffic that evening. Akechi Goro was accepted into Shido Masayoshi’s ranks with open arms, a handsome and intuitive detective quickly making himself a name on TV as his talent for reasoning prevailed in even the most impossible cases; the past few mysterious deaths and suicides.

Behind that perfect, practiced smile, the black mask laughed cruelly; and behind it, a small child in white wept in sorrow.


	3. Mind of Mine

“I’m the one behind the mental shutdowns and psychotic breakdowns,” the brunet confessed in their next interrogation session, “To hide the truth from the public, I became a detective that would ‘_ solve _’ these cases, gaining popularity among the masses at the same time.”

Shirogane had replayed the broadcast of Shido’s confession after his change of heart, along with them listing down the remaining crimes the former politician had confessed to. They had then asked if Goro knew any other details regarding the crimes; whether it be names, methods, motives, and etcetera, seeming to ask it more as a loaded question than actually wanting more information on the crimes themselves.

The boy figured he might as well see what it was the detective actually wanted from him, so he simply admitted to whatever he should have since Shido was arrested. In fact, this interrogation was long overdue before the leader of the Phantom Thieves even turned himself in; if he had been found then, he was certain that the eight of them could have celebrated Christmas without a hitch.

He probably owed them an apology.

Returning to the situation at hand, his confession seemed to have taken the trio of adults by surprise, albeit much less than he was probably hoping for. Kirijo and Shirogane recovered really quickly, Sanada only letting his mild disbelief linger for not more than a second before they were back to business. There was not much else to gauge about the situation from their reactions, or lack thereof, so the boy would just have to keep watching.

“If that’s the case, then am I right to assume that Shido had you undertake his dirty work since about four years ago?” the detective proceeded with questioning, their expression darkening under their visor when they said, “You were in junior high, barely a teenager?”

Goro smiled pleasantly in response, “I was a minor when I undertook those murders, yes; but what of it?”

_ It was no excuse _ , age was no excuse for his actions. Even a child should be punished for their actions to understand the severity of their actions; if death would not do him any favours, he wondered what life might have in store for him that was worse. _ How many lives did he ruin for his own selfish reasons? How much did he gain that they lost as a result? How many of them were still living in the hell he himself created for them intentionally, or not _?

As if sensing that they were losing his attention, Shirogane snapped, “_ Akechi Goro _.”

Umber red eyes lifted to meet steeled blue ones.

“Since during most of the period when you committed these crimes was while you were a minor,” his interrogator continued, “We’re under obligation to lighten your sentence as compared to the mastermind who had you carry out his orders--”

“_ Seriously _?” the boy could not help but snap, agitated for some reason, “After all the murders I’ve undertaken? No amount of remorse can balance out the weight of my cr--”

“_ Not to mention _ ,” Shirogane followed up regardless, voice raised in order to reign her authority over the conversation, “Your case has been compromised due to the more... _ sensitive _, elements of your methods and motives.”

Goro could feel the stern glare directed straight at him, so he bit back the retort that had been on his tongue before.

“Have you heard of the Shadow Operatives, Akechi Goro?” they eventually asked and, when they received a dubious quirk of a brow from him, they simply nodded understandingly as they continued, “Their full title is_ the Security Department, Shadow Response Unit _. They’re an unofficial section of the police backed by the Kirijo Group, dealing with more… difficult situations like the plane hijacking that occurred four years ago.”

That explained the presence of the one and only President of the Kirijo Group, then. Still, he had to say that this was news to him; he heard the name from Sae at some point but it was only as a rumour rather than an actual existence. However, no matter how impressive their tactical prowess, he highly doubted that his case related to them in any way apart from being a national threat. Perhaps they would torture answers out of him like Shido’s men did to the leader Thief?

To think that, for a moment, Goro actually thought the “Shadow” in their name actually meant something, but what were the chances? Wakaba’s research had only come to fruition two - now three - years ago, while these guys had been entrusted with cases likely since long before the incident mentioned from five years ago. The name probably indicated their secrecy to the public and common police than what he was familiar with.

Even if they _ did _ know about that world, why did they not do anything up until they found him? Could they not have intercepted him? It would be understandable that they could not reach the Thieves during the interrogation period, since Shido’s men were quite thorough with limiting the leader’s audience; but if they really wanted answers while knowing about the Metaverse, they could have done what the Thieves did and find their own answers.

“I see the cogs in your head are turning,” Shirogane noted suddenly, a small, self-satisfied smirk upon her lips, “Well, whatever you’re thinking, leave it for when we actually confirm the methods of your crimes. After all, we’re not exactly sure what _ we’re _ dealing with ourselves.”

Shirogane stood from her seat by his bedside, indicating the end of their interrogation for the day.

“However, if you indeed had methods to counter the Phantom Thieves,” they said before turning to leave, “Then, I think there’s no doubt: _ we’re the only ones who _ can _ judge you _.”

_ Hmph, bold words _.

When all three figures had left the room, the brunet let a scowl creep upon his face. Shirogane was being a tease, and they both knew it; but he did not like what it was that they might be insinuating with their parting dialogue. Unless they were acquainted with Wakaba and had access to her research, Goro could not think of any other way they would even have an inkling of what they were dealing with, _ right _?

Just as he was thinking this, the door to his ward opened again. A strange, blonde girl stepped in and slid it back closed, her eyes a striking blue as they panned eerily to meet his own dark red ones. Her hair was just below - what probably counted as - her ears, her body seeming to be plated a matte white except for her face. Mechanical joints jutted at her hips and shoulders, her legs appeared more like stilts as they lacked proper feet and her gaze never faltered, as if it were a turret trained on its target.

“You are Akechi Goro, correct?” she asked robotically; or rather, her intonation was just a little strange with her pacing of speech, “I am Aigis, and I…”

A pause, as if she had wanted to say something more.

“...have been assigned to ‘_ keep you company _’ for today,” she announced instead, although it would seem that her job description was not well laid out for her with how she said it, “Mitsuru-san had originally assigned someone else this duty, but it seems they won’t be able to make it until tomorrow.”

The robotic girl continued to inform him that the purpose of “_ keeping him company _ ” was to hopefully understand Goro’s motives, and also so he did not “ _ die of boredom _ ”. While they could let one of the doctors or nurses converse with him, the redhead in charge had apparently felt it more “ _ comfortable _ ” for him to talk with someone who was unrelated to his medical treatment or otherwise “ _ busy with their job _”.

From the phrasing, the boy could more or less guess which orders and reasoning came from which imposing figure; an entertaining line of thought. That aside, this meant they were bringing in someone from outside, then? It had to be one of these “_ Operatives _”, though; anyone else probably would have heard about him or - at the very least - risk spreading word about him if his name got out.

“I must say,” Goro decided to test the waters, though he doubted results would be reliable since his candidate was pretty much a robot, “This is quite a pacifistic method to learning my motives.”

“If you are referring to the alternative for torture, the Shadow Operatives have hardly any need to resort to that, as far as I’m concerned; whether it be because it’s none of our business, or simply because the first blow we deal is normally sufficient,” the blonde responded earnestly, despite what she was actually saying, “I understand if you think torture is an effective method to gain sensitive intel, but given your condition, we will sooner kill you than get you to speak at all.”

The boy in bed barely suppressed a shudder with a wince, something about the monotonous and inconspicuous way she said all that making it all the more menacing. In any case, he got the idea; these Shadow Operatives were likely a group only brought in to quickly resolve dire situations, more than they were to go through the tedious process of gaining intel. Still,_ what did all that have to do with him _?

They wanted intel, but did not feel obliged to press him for it nor did they seem to be in any rush to get it in the first place. They did not trust the police with him even though they themselves were technically the police as well, stranger still when they apparently helped said police when things were out of their field; or perhaps it was the other way round, and it was the police that ultimately answered to them?

_ He wasn’t getting anywhere with just this _.

“Pardon for interrupting your thoughts,” the blonde interjected, having noticed the patient’s attention had wandered, “Do you have any questions? I cannot guarantee I will answer due to certain classified intel; however, I assure you I will still respond to the best of my abilities.”

Goro rested his cheek into his pillow, trying to look at the robot girl with his good right eye while avoiding too much extra movement. The burned skin of his left side had mostly peeled off a few days before, leaving the raw skin exposed and painfully sensitive to friction. Even just turning his neck made him flinch, the itch of healing wounds driving him crazy although he knew scratching that itch was just going to make things worse. _ Thank goodness he could hardly move either arm _, the brunet thought half-bitterly.

Eventually, he decided to ask, “What are you?”

“As you might’ve already guessed, I am a machine,” Aigis promptly replied, “Due to the nature of the Shadow Operatives’ missions, I have many combat modules and equipment installed into my body.”

“So, basically,” the boy summarised, “_ You’re a weapon _.”

It was for just a split second, but Goro swore he saw a flicker within those crystalline orbs. It surprised him that his words evoked any sort of response from the girl, expecting her to maintain her unchanging expression if only to retain information or any hint of what she might know from him. Did the word “_ weapon _” strike a nerve of sorts, by any chance?

The blonde’s uniform smile had dropped into a flat line, although most of the rest of her expression remained unchanged. She politely asked him to refer to her by name, as if it was a touchy subject for her. The brunet met her electric blue eyes curiously, fascinated by the peculiar motions that turned behind them; if she acted _ this human _, and assuming her personality module was that advanced, then Goro supposed he could understand her offense to what he said. However, it just made him more curious.

“If you were intended for combat,” the boy started in a roundabout way, “Then why would they make you so..._ human _?"

Aigis seemed surprised by the question; or rather, how it was asked.

“Human thoughts and emotions, a _ personality _… I don’t see how those are needed in such a heartless thing as eliminating enemies,” Goro elaborated more to himself than the blonde beside him, melancholic darkness in his gaze, “Don’t you think being human is… inconvenient?”

He had intended to ask more about the robot girl herself, but listening to himself made the boy realise how much of his own thoughts had seeped into his words. To think he was relating himself to a machine. Still, that was what he had been under Shido, right? A puppet to his schemes, a mere killing machine… a weapon, as he himself had so eloquently put it.

Goro unconsciously slipped into the memory from his last battle with the Phantom Thieves, remembering the humiliation he felt as his muscles ached and screamed in pain. The overexertion he enabled by making himself go psychotic was taking its toll on his body, it was a surprise he could still stand on his feet at all. He remembered Skull insisting the brunet was special, remembered Queen’s supposed envy towards his partnership with her sister, along with the collective understanding the Thieves had towards him.

He did not want their sympathy, he did not even deserve it. The invitation to come back into the team would have caused more problems than resolved them, his history of murdering two of their parental figures was a sharp edge against the ties that bound the team together. His presence would only break them apart, an inconvenience that they could hardly afford to waste time on if they wished to accomplish their goals.

Goro hated that he desired to be there regardless. Against his better judgement, he wanted to accept the hands that reached out to him back then, wanted someone to come back and save him somehow; he wanted to talk to them again, like they did during those secret meetings in Leblanc’s attic. For all the praise and recognition he received as a detective, he wanted no less than to stand by those guys as equals. Guiltless and free.

The brunet slowly came to, apprehension reaching his eyes as he remembered Aigis was still seated next to him, watching him with an unreadable expression. He wondered if he might have missed her reply to his question, although he did not expect much of a response to begin with. Aigis noticed his attention on her once more and blinked slowly, as if to ask what he was thinking about just a second before. He said nothing.

The silence marched on, as did the hands on the clock as it ticked loudly in his ears, eventually lulling him into unconsciousness. He vaguely remembered the sound of a chair being pushed back, the slight shift in the air as someone got up and walked away, along with the sliding of the door opened and closed. Goro almost believed he saw someone leave the room, but he thought maybe his mind was just turning all those sounds into imagery in his dreams.

Instead, he saw _ a brunet in a familiar peacoat make his exit, having left a smoking gun in another’s limp grasp _.

Red eyes shot wide open, a raw scream clawing out his throat, his whole body jolted from the shock and continued to shake as the red of his skin shrieked at him in protest. The boy eventually calmed himself down enough to breathe, albeit heavy and ragged, as he managed to take in and process his actual surroundings. He saw a familiar beige ceiling, a black ceiling fan hanging unmoving from it, and two figures at both ends of his line of vision; one he barely recognised while the other a complete stranger.

Goro instinctively tensed at the latter’s presence but becomes cognizant of the weight upon the uninjured portion of his chest. When he glanced downward, he found two hands - one from either visitor - pressed flat against him, restricting his movement. The boy soon realised the situation past his panic, slowly but surely gaining control over his breathing as his own mind cleared up from what seemed to be a nightmare. He hardly remembered what it was at this point.

The pressure upon his chest was carefully lifted just as his breathing evened out, a sigh of relief coming from his left where the unfamiliar face had been. Goro finally recognised the other to be Aigis, so he decided to look over the newcomer who was thankfully on the side with his good eye. The two visitors were talking, most likely about his earlier outburst; the blonde seemed just a tad worried.

A boy, no older than Goro himself, stood firm at his side. He had long, wavy brown hair that was mostly swept to his right while the rest trickled down his neck to touch his collar, the locks being just a shade lighter than Goro’s own. His eyes were round in shape although his gaze was piercing as a spear, which might have only been because of his heated conversation with Aigis at the moment; they were the same colour as his hair.

He wore a rather loose-fitting orange hoodie over a dark turtleneck, as well as brown sweatpants to fit the cold season. Under the baggy outfit, the former detective guessed he could not have been much different from Goro himself with regard to body type either. Given he had not once stood up at all since arriving wherever he was, there was not much input to be given when it came to the other’s height except that he was taller than Aigis.

As if feeling his gaze, hazel brown eyes suddenly shot a glance into umber red ones. If the patient could move without hurting himself, he might have flinched from the sharp glare. That being said, he did not sense any hostility from the other, in particular; rather, a_ troublesome_ determination, seeing as his attention was trained onto him just then. Something told Goro that this unfamiliar face was here for an _equally_ _troublesome_ reason.

“In the case of an emergency, please call either Akihiko-san or myself,” the mechanical girl had instructed from the doorway, “Otherwise, I’m sure the nurses will suffice. With that, I will be back with Mitsuru-san in her office.”

The door slid shut.

“...what was that about?” the boy in bed asked cautiously, hoping little questions and responses would help him further gauge the person he was currently dealing with.

“Hm? Oh, I guess you were still in a daze after your little outburst,” the stranger mused innocently, his understatement of Goro’s earlier awakening already rubbing him the wrong way, “Aigis was worried that I wouldn’t be able to handle you by myself, should you have another fit like just now. Still, orders are orders, and I don’t intend to trouble my Senpai when I offered to help in the first place.”

_ Orders, huh _.

“I’m Ken, by the way. _ Amada Ken _,” the boy proceeded to introduce himself, “I’ve been asked to learn your motives by spending some time with you, but I think we all know that’s easier said than done.”

Goro laughed, slipping into his pleasant facade from instinct as he decided to inquire, “So, then; you’re a Shadow Operative as well, Amada-_ san _?”

“Yep, that’s right,” Ken replied easily, as if answering a totally-not-loaded question, “I’m just an auxiliary member, though. You won’t be getting a lot of information from me.”

That was what the boy said, but his eyes were wide and attentive, as if watching out for ulterior motives; so he likely had other things to hide that he did not want Goro to know. _ Great _, so it seemed they were both playing the same game. Seeing as Ken had caught up to him so soon, it would not be unreasonable to assume that he was quite familiar with it, too.

Just as he thought that, his visitor strode over to his right where there was a chair. He took a seat and bent over the side between the chair and bedside table, unzipping a bag, from the sounds of it. After a few seconds of rummaging, he took out a folder of papers and other loose slips, along with a pencil case, and placed it upon his lap without so much as looking at Goro. Annoyingly, Ken suddenly glanced upward and caught him staring, smiling innocently in response to the askance glare he received.

In any case, it was impossible to read whatever was on his papers from that distance - what with his current vision. He was not about to try what he knew was going to be futile even if he squinted, so he let his eyelids slip shut with a quiet sigh of resignation. If his visitor was not about to make things easy for him - _ he was making things incredibly harder, actually _ \- then he might as well save his energy.

“Huh, that reminds me,” Ken suddenly spoke up just as he was about to doze off, effectively snapping Goro awake, “You’re my age, huh.”

_ That surprised him _ ; he took this chance to ask back, “How old are _ you _?”

“Eighteen, turning nineteen this year. I’m actually about three weeks younger than you, if that makes any difference,” the boy next to him replied easily with suspiciously specific details, before adding quickly, “I looked through your profile before coming here,”

Goro winced at the addition.

“Yeah, I know,” was the thoughtless and also unnecessary reaction received, which Ken then pretended to never have happened when he continued to speak, “That aside, was there any subject or field you wanted to major in when you graduated high school? I’m filling in papers to apply for college, so I was just wondering.”

Goro hardly had time to react or recover from the other blatantly brushing off the records he very likely saw in his profile, bewildered at how easily his shameful background was dismissed before slipping into such casual chatter. If his visitor had noticed his stunned train of thought, he chose not to react as he patiently waited for the boy in bed to respond, as if he was genuinely interested. If this was somehow his way of learning a murderer’s motives, Goro could hardly say he was impressed - he was much more disturbed, really.

“...if my detective job went well, I was considering going into law but,” he answered after a moment passed, “I think we both know how that turned out.”

Again, Ken seemed unfazed because he immediately prompted, “And?”

“‘_ And _’?” Goro echoed dubiously.

“You heard me. Don’t you have other interests?” the other did not relent, “If say, you could still go to college now, what would you choose to major in?”

_ Oh, he’s really annoying _. The brunet groaned as he sank himself further into the pillow.

“...if I could _ somehow _ still go to college now, I might consider--”

Goro abruptly stopped.

Barely catching Ken’s confused blink, Goro felt his mind grind to a halt and his vision go blank. Nothing came to mind. He had no follow up to his initial sentence - nothing that was going to make sense, anyway - and found himself in that rare, uncomfortable situation where he was at a loss for words. He had not anticipated the question..._ no, that wasn’t right _, he anticipated this question ever since he realised he had fans. Fans that asked too many questions.

So then, why was he faltering now?

_ You’ve run out of lies _, a voice laughed darkly from the back of his mind.

_ You’ve run out of lies _, another said quietly next to it, apprehensive and afraid.

“...I,” he let slip helplessly from tired lips, “_ I don’t know _.”


	4. Intention

Ken said nothing to continue the conversation after that, opting to quietly read the papers he had brought while filling out what Goro assumed to be his college application forms. It did not need to be said, but the boy in bed was grateful for the occupied silence; there was no chatter required, or wanted, under the excuse that one of them was busy with their own business, and the other needed to rest. It took almost no time before the scratching of pen and paper lulled him to sleep.

When he awoke, the nurses had come by with his lunch while Ken excused himself; likely to see Kirijo and the others. The hospitality he received puzzled him, and it was not just the nurses and the thorough treatment he was given that was putting him off.  _ Aigis and Ken come to mind _ . They did not seem to be particularly “ _ friendly _ ”, but they did say they were there to get answers out of him, right? Their methods of getting him to talk was uncannily lenient and unforceful: a very alien concept to him.

_ Even the Phantom Thieves were harder on him _ .

However, if he thought back on it for the past two days alone, he certainly did talk a lot more than he had intended to. Was it due to his vulnerable state? Was it his resignation to admitting his crimes? Even if his ownership to said crimes were admitted, it would appear that simply knowing he did it was not nearly enough to satisfy these Shadow Operatives.  _ Truly _ , what a strange bunch.

Compared to the police Goro had worked with under Shido, the Operatives were hard to please. Most of the officials under the former politician’s thumb were happy just knowing the ends, never caring enough about the means, eventually finding themselves unable to stand up for themselves when crisis finally fell upon them. Those people very quickly became loose ends that were also quickly, strategically cut off; in no small part thanks to the former detective, of course.

Goro thought he knew all about the police. All their methods, their priorities, their inner workings, their capabilities and limitations; he thought he had it all laid out perfectly for his plan. Then, just as all that information had lost their purpose - as did the detective himself, he found himself pulled back up from the depths into an unknown environment. A room of familiar strangers, with even stranger motives; a weaponised mechanical girl with a human conscience, and an annoying kid who had no plans of giving the injured any less of a headache.

The nurses finally leave after assessing his wounds and overall health, just in time for his earlier visitor to return with even more papers apparently. He looked slightly exhausted as he walked in and slid the door shut with a sigh, before taking his seat by the bedside again. Ken uttered a small “ _ hey _ ” towards the lone patient in the room before leaning back into the chair to browse one of the many booklets he just brought in.

“That’s the face of someone who’s been given an unwanted gift,” the brunet commented unhelpfully from where he lay unmoving in bed, “...that he couldn’t refuse.”

Ken groaned loudly without looking at him, a wordless plea telling him to keep his mouth shut. His forehead was pressed into one hand held up by his elbow against the bedside table, using the other to flip the pages of the offending book; all while making this  _ very _ miserable expression that implied he would much prefer doing literally anything else at the moment.

As amusing as the blurry sight was from his point of view, the former detective was curious, “So, what’s up? You look awful.”

The other looked at him this time, feigning offense as he frowned. Goro refrains from smiling, although he was pretty sure he just looked a little constipated now because Ken’s own stern facade was cracking. Neither boy gave the other the satisfaction of breaking into smiles, opting to break eye contact instead and spare them both the embarrassment; the one on the chair returning to his papers while the one in bed looked at the flower vase on the shelf opposite himself.

A little over five seconds later, Ken belatedly replied, “I was asked what I planned to do in college and said I might consider a diploma related to medicine, but I wasn’t sure which aspect of it to consider. Therefore, I’m stuck reading up on every medical course Japan has to offer.”

“...Just Japan?” Goro could not help but pick up.

The boy next to him paused for a moment before deciding to answer, no doubt picking out the information that should not be said in the patient’s presence. He explained how he was hoping to stay close to where Kirijo was in the case of emergencies where it would be best for him to be quickly available. Besides, he was not particularly interested in travelling, let alone living in another country for a long term. He just felt it might be nice to expand his horizons, in smaller ways.

Goro did not fully understand, but hearing about travelling and “expanding his horizons” did make something click in his head; so he asked, “Do you know how long before I would be able to start moving around again?”

Ken quirked a brow but gave him the rundown anyway, “Your broken ribs should take at least six to seven weeks to recover in total, so that makes another three or so weeks from now. By then, your burns should have mostly healed, save for the scars; but movement should still be restricted, and your bruises would have long recovered. Why?”

The former detective thought about the question for a while, mostly muttering to himself when he said, “I just think...travelling around the world would be nice.”

Goro never had the luxury to move around the country much, let alone the world. He grew up with little to no money for the bus fare. Even when he grew in fame and earned more money, his actions were under heavy surveillance by Shido; he even missed his high school overseas trips in favour of his detective work and attending talk shows to increase his popularity. Looking back, it was truly a shame.

Staying in one place felt suffocating, whether he be holed up in a ward or the entirety of Tokyo. Knowing the only reason he never left was due to his own bindings to his past, he was beginning to feel more and more like a caged rat. The sooner he could leave and see a street that was not Tokyo, the better. On that note, he never actually learned the name of the place he was staying in currently; guessing that it was Kirijo property, at the very least.

To his side, Ken watched the other’s face ease into a dreamy expression. His eyes stare into space, lips slightly parted as he drifted into a daze; like he was remembering or wondering about something. The Operative could not help but think of how childlike Akechi seemed whenever he was not trying to cover something up, even if Ken himself was not one to talk about being a child.

_ Could anyone blame him, though _ ? He remembered the time he returned his Shadow operative badge to Mitsuru, willing himself to live out his school days to the fullest before he eventually returned. There was a great burden lifted from his shoulders, and he felt... _ free _ . He heard people talk about him and people who tell him themselves; they said he had become more friendly, as compared to his serious and cold self when he was still bound to his past with SEES.

Where most of their old team went, Ken had wanted to be there as well. He wanted to share the duty that was the elimination of Shadows, _ he thought he should _ since he was one of the few people who even knew about them. However, he was made to consider for himself; _ was a life tied down to someone else’s cause what he wanted _ ? There was another life he should be living, and it was quickly slipping from his hands; like the sand in an hourglass.

Ken recalled Naoto’s strong suspicions of Akechi being a Phantom Thief and - if that were true - wondered if the other boy felt what he felt back then, even for these brief moments where he had his guard down. The weight the former detective was carrying was something he probably felt obligated to drag along, even if no one wished him to.  _ Was it duty? Perhaps, even guilt _ ?

“Do you like travelling?” the Operative asked.

Goro glanced up, his gaze having apparently wandered to his hands before then, and dubiously replied, “I...suppose I do?”

Ken tilted his head inquisitively, the other immediately getting defensive and clearing his throat.

“I never had time to entertain the thought, let alone act on it,” the brunet explained with suspicious haste, umber red eyes locked onto hazel brown ones as if to challenge them to argue back, “I can’t go anywhere now, though. I’m as good as imprisoned under the watch of you Shadow Operatives, aren’t I?”

At that, Ken paused and hummed thoughtfully in his seat. Considering the former detective’s background, his crimes and the age he committed them, along with the Operatives’ “leniency” - as some might mistake it to be - of dealing with their criminals; Ken may, or may not have to break it to the patient that moving around might actually be  _ inevitable _ . That was not to forget the information he might be withholding about the Phantom Thieves: they were criminals the Operatives were pursuing as well.

Ken’s prolonged silence very quickly started to put the other boy on edge, likely thinking of the possibilities that may have put himself in a worse spot. For all Goro had done up to this point, he doubted that there was actually a “worse spot” to be than getting away scot-free but not being allowed to die. After all, this criminal had a guilty conscience; what bigger burden could a person possibly bear than his own mind? He would bet their perpetrator was silently thankful to be under police watch, if only to think he was getting some form of punishment to balance out his wrongs.

_ The scales of Justice don’t work like that _ .

“Nah, we don’t usually like to keep types like yourself in one place for too long,” Ken denied without batting an eye, unsettlingly serious when answering the rhetorical question, ”For better or worse, I’m thinking you might be moving around a  _ lot _ , actually.”

If Goro could move without tearing his own skin, he probably would have moved himself to the edge of the bed and away from the Operative next to him. His brows were knitted together, greatly troubled by the implications of Ken’s words;  _ not that he shouldn’t be, of course _ . To which the Operative only smiled kindly, much to the patient’s heightened discomfort. They let the seconds march on in silence as Ken had returned to his papers whilst Goro still waited on that much needed explanation for his earlier claim.

It never came, and the former detective willed himself not to think of it any further lest he went mad. Easier said than done, there was not much else to occupy his mind with except for the growing restlessness of both body and brain. He wondered if he could ask his “helpful” companion to find a newspaper with a crossword on it, maybe settling for a comic strip or even just recent news. Literally anything to keep him from dosing more than he needed to. Thankfully, as if finally sensing his discomfort and having a little mercy, Ken spoke up again.

“Did anyone tell you about what’s happening with the Phantom Thief case?” he inquired a little suddenly, as if he only just remembered to ask, “I know you were told about Shido’s confession and all, but did they tell you about the Thieves themselves?”

“That’s...n-no,” Goro replied dubiously, unsure as to where this was going, “Are you going to tell me, though?”

“I wasn’t told  _ not _ to,” the boy said with a shrug, proceeding to explain, “Apparently, supporters of the Phantom Thieves have been gathering information, signing petitions, and even publicising their Leader’s good name - among other things - in order to get him out of his sentence. It’s gotten pretty intense out there.”

_ Should he be surprised? Goro thinks he should be surprised _ .

_ Nope, he wasn’t surprised _ .

“That guy’s a leader for a reason,” he said instead with a small smile creeping to the edges of his lips, earning a quizzical stare from Ken -  _ perhaps he said too much _ .

“How close  _ were  _ you with the leader of the Phantom Thieves? Weren’t you the one who ratted him out?” asked Ken to no one’s surprise after that hole he just dug himself into, “Were you--?”

“Let me stop you right there,  _ Amada-san _ ,” Goro interrupted, smiling that familiar, fake smile of his, “I’ve told Shirogane-san this before, and I think I’ll make it clear to you as well…  _ I’m not telling you _ .”

A beat of silence. Two.

Ken frowned but quickly conceded, “Alright, then. How about this?”

The Operative puts aside all of his documents and folded his arms.

“We’ll exchange information,” Ken offered as a compromise, “Question for question; Value for value.”

_ Interesting _ , but before Goro agreed, he had to ask first, “How will we be gauging value, though?”

“You can just skip the question for another one if you think you shouldn’t answer it,” Ken answered easily, “It’s not like either of us know for sure that the other isn’t lying.”

“Fair enough.”

Ken stared up at him expectantly.

“I suppose I’ll answer your first question, then,” Goro caved with a sufferable sigh, sinking himself further into the feathered pillows, “How close I was… Hm, I don’t have anything tangible to compare our relationship with, but I suppose that if he asked me to kill someone,  _ I’d do it. _ Just once, of course; I don’t owe him any more than that.”

He took a glance at Ken with amusement as the boy bit his lip in a struggle to react, coming up with only an underwhelming, “...oh.”

_ Well, that’s that _ , Goro did not wait to ask afterwards, “My turn. Are you familiar with the research of ‘ _ cognitive psience _ ’?”

Ken was not there when Shirogane asked the question, but he seemed to recognise the aim of it all the same. He was obviously considering if he should answer and how, although Goro was personally quite certain he knew. Then again, it really should not be that hard to answer; he just had to say “yes” or “no”. The brunet on the hospital bed craned his neck just slightly to better see his companion who only took a moment of eye contact to decide what to say.

“I heard about it,” he said, “Not the contents, though.”

Goro hummed thoughtfully at that. He should count his lucky stars that his sort-of surveillance officer was so generous with his words. “ _ Value for value”, was it _ ? This information was quite valuable to him, actually; at least when compared to what he said about Joker and himself, considering that that was just the twisted way of saying “ _ I take orders where I think reasonable _ ” from the leader thief.

Eliminating the possibility of Ken lying to him, Goro figured he could safely evaluate the new information into the database that was his detective brain. Somehow, he found it hard to imagine the Operative lying to him unless he had a very specific script to follow; and this was an impromptu compromise - _ he stood no chance _ . In any case, this meant that the Operatives were only aware of the _ existence _ of Wakaba’s research, not the contents. That, or it was just Ken being deprived of that knowledge since he was a mere auxiliary member.

“My turn.”

_ Oh, he didn’t like that tone _ .

“Were you a Phantom Thief?” the Operative asked.

“No,” was Goro’s curt response, a technical truth; he added, “Far from it.”

Ken clearly did not believe his words, at least not at face value. If he managed to sense the second meaning behind Goro’s answer then the patient supposed a congratulation was in order. Jokes aside, it might be a good idea to reserve his next turn for a later date; perhaps after he was discharged from bed and able to explore the place as much as he may be allowed to. Aigis mentioned something about standing by in with Kirijo in her office; which he assumed was nearby considering that she was one of the contacts Ken was meant to contact should any difficulties arise.

Neither occupant of the room said anything for the longest time. Ken got the hint that Goro had no more questions to ask and returned to his papers with a tired sigh, the sound of flipping pages being the only thing left to move the quiet air. After an hour or two, even that had gone silent - the boy must have finished looking through his options, or was just taking a break. The patient, on the other hand, drifted somewhere between consciousness and unconsciousness; he wondered what the Operatives had in store for him.

Apart from the interrogation and the awfully tame surveillance, considering the relatively comfortable environment, he wondered what more these people from some underground police unit would want from him. With how careful they seemed to try to be with him, he could really only think they were trying to curry favour with him. Perhaps they were hoping to catch him slipping up some valuable information as he very nearly did earlier in their conversation. What could be more valuable than finding out “ _ whodunnit _ ”?

Wakaba’s research?  _ That shouldn’t be too difficult, what with Shido’s case very likely sending his remaining goons into a panic _ . Not to mention, if they needed help sourcing said goons out, they would have mentioned it during the interrogation. Goro could not imagine why it would not be one of the first things they would ask him…  _ No. Actually, he could _ . It could very well just not  _ be _ the Shadow Operatives’ business. As he said, snuffing out the defenseless lackeys was only a matter of time without Shido or public support.

The only other thing he could think of… _ it can’t be, right _ ?

The “ _ Shadow _ ” Operatives, it had to be just a name.  _ If it wasn’t, then… _ ?

Did the Metaverse exist more than five years ago? What have these guys been doing with it if it did?  _ What would it even mean to him if it did.. _ ?

“ ** _Akechi-san_ ** .”

Goro jerked awake, eyes flying open.

There was a hand pressed firmly against his chest.

The brunet flitted his eyes upwards to see who had woken him up, laying them upon a familiar head of blond hair and aquamarine orbs. The android regarded him for a second longer before lifting the weight of her hand off of his sternum, straightening back up to stand fully by his bedside. She wasted no time to inform him of her purpose for being there whereas Ken had retired to another room to rest. Apparently, as someone who did not require sleep, she was assigned graveyard duty. Of course, that was no reason to wake him up so suddenly.

“You looked troubled in your sleep,” Aigis explained herself, only innocence in her eyes when she said, “Ken-kun told me that I should wake you up if you started showing signs of growing discomfort. He thinks your bad dreams will throw you into a panic attack if you woke up on your own.”

_ Well, he wasn’t wrong _ , Goro internally agreed as he evened out his breathing, not bothering to correct the girl that he was having more of an existential crisis than an actual nightmare - _ that’d just be him nitpicking _ . He found it curious that Ken would say such a thing after only one encounter with Akechi’s “panic attacks”. Perhaps the other boy had experience, or he read it up somewhere out of curiosity; or even duty, depending on what his position as an auxiliary Operative required of him.

The patient looked towards the window to his left, the one obscured by blinds ever since he woke up here. There was a hint of light seeping through their gaps that indicated daybreak, so it must have been pretty early in the morning already. To think, it was only the second week since he had woken up in this strange place with even stranger people; people who may or may not know about  _ that world _ .

Come to think of it, they said they “ _ found _ ” him, right? “ _ Up in a tree within the fenced premises of the Diet Building promptly after the arrest of the leader of the Phantom Thieves _ ,” was what Shirogane said. That was strange. When he asked Ken how long it would take for his wounds to heal, he was told it would take seven weeks at most; and he had about three weeks to go before that happened. Did that mean he was unconscious for most of two weeks since being found?

“ _ Aigis-san _ , if you don’t mind me asking,” he inquired with a contemplative frown, “ _ When _ was I found? You know, at the Diet Building.”

“We found you about a day after the arrest of the Phantom Thieves’ leader,” the android answered readily, divulging information that was apparently not confidential, just overlooked, “That would be on December 25th last year; four weeks ago.”

“So, I was unconscious for two weeks since my discovery,” Goro muttered to himself but loud enough to be heard in the quiet ward, “In that case, I couldn’t have been out for more than a week before that, seeing as the day I went missing was the day I approached the Thieves.”

To this, Aigis shook her head.

“I inspected your more accessible injuries upon finding you: The burns on your face were not recent; neither were the bruises across your arms; and the blood on your coat had long dried.” she informed without pause, “Despite that, however, it could not have been possible for your burns to have gone uninfected without some form of treatment within 24 hours of sustaining it. Also, even if someone treated you while you were unconscious, it’s quite impractical to not bandage you up after that, either.”

... _ What _ ?

“After all, your clothes suggest that you received some form of treatment before we found you. Unlike the skin underneath, your clothes were unscathed,” she concluded, “As such, it is hard to imagine your earlier testaments aligning with your injury diagnosis. Therefore, the duration of which you were unconscious is undetermineable.”

No one treated him. There should not have been anyone that would and, as Aigis said earlier, even if there was they should have bandaged up his burns instead of letting it drape off the raw skin.

“You appear confused.”

Goro could only stare at the inquisitive blonde who simply awaited anymore questions. He wondered why he was not told all this beforehand, especially if they decided that his testament and the physical, undeniable evidence did not align. If it was to draw him into a trap to uncover some other truth, then why tell him at all? Hearing it from Ken, an auxiliary member, was one thing. Hearing from Aigis, who was easily a primary member of their little team with her apparent capabilities, was another.

Before Goro could even begin to make sense of the revelation that had presented itself, Ken arrived at the door with a yawn. Aigis said nothing of the former detective’s earlier inquiries, as if the information she shared hardly mattered enough to be kept from him. With that, the two colleagues moved into their next shift; Aigis making her way out and Ken making his entrance as he slid the door back shut behind him. If he noticed Goro’s downcast expression, he said nothing of it and plopped on the same chair he did the day before.


	5. Confined Freedom

The days flew by. During that time, Goro listened to the radio that occupied the silence between him and Ken. It was not long before his arm was released from their binds to the ceiling, put into a more portable sling over his neck that allowed him more mobility without his shoulder and ribs screaming in pain. However, even then, he was only allowed access to the bathroom and the room Ken was supposedly staying in every night when Aigis was on night watch.

_ Literally _ . You know, _ watch _ing Goro sleep.

Without thinking about it too much, the former detective made it a point to ask Aigis to walk him over to Ken’s room before sunrise. After spending so long in the same ward - _ no matter how nicely cleaned and decorated it was _ \- that was so generously given to him, Goro desired a change in scenery. Unlike the patient - _ prisoner _, more like - who had limited access to anything outside the facility, it seemed Ken was allowed some extent of personal decoration in order to feel more at home.

“I hope you realise my room would not normally look like this,” the Operative had pointed out, unimpressed by the other boy’s effort to greet him every other morning instead of vice versa, “Not that I mind you being here all that much, since I don’t have to worry about bringing stuff over, but you’re really making it hard on the nurses who have to check in on you every now and then.”

Said nurses would often go into Goro’s original room to find him missing, enter a little frenzy, then go into Ken’s room next door to find the boys having a leisurely conversation with one another. Still, it would be silly if they were not used to it by now. Even Aigis was far past caring enough to doubt his intentions after the third time he asked her to walk him over before her shift ended. If anything, she seemed curious, if not slightly amused, by his actions.

Ken’s temporary home was a little walk past the bathroom and stairwell. In size and format, it was identical to Goro’s own. As for his belongings, Ken had several manga, magazines, textbooks and workbooks lining the lone shelf at the corner of the room; the former of which he insisted was lent to him by a _ senpai _ of his _ against his own will _ . Goro was doubtful - _ and also didn’t ask _ \- but thought better than to bug the other about it; he would save that for another time.

He also had a laptop upon the desk at the foot of his bed - _ a normal bed, not a hospital one with the fancy controls _ \- which was unsurprisingly locked. Goro had confidence in his ability to trace people’s fingers when they typed, something he picked up during his lonely infiltrations back when he was tasked to secure someone’s palace. His questionable skills aside, he found no reason to even access the device since the network that their rooms had access to was separate from the main building which may or may not have information he could use.

He really only knew this because Ken was annoyingly good at coming up with the same schemes Goro happened to concoct in his brain, being also annoyingly quick to toss his ideas out the window as if he already knew them inside out.. The former detective doubted the Operative’s ability to read minds more than he was simply eager to imagine the former detective thinking it. By some terrible luck, Ken would catch Goro staring at something and guess what it was he could possibly be scheming at that moment. His accuracy was lacking sometimes, but his persistence more than made up for it.

“You remind me of a villain straight out of a hero film,” Ken told him after guessing that particular scheme with his computer, “Always plotting. Sometimes I can almost see the subtitles of your monologue flashing right under your head.”

“I never knew you liked _ hero _ films,” Goro shot back bemusedly, noting how suspiciously immediate the silence that followed was.

_ Ah, a sensitive spot. Got it _.

He would then proceed to dismantle his plans by pointing out every possible flaw in it with grating confidence. While it revealed some interesting facts about his unseen surroundings, it was nothing that he could work with at the moment. For one, Ken was keeping watch on him at all times during his shift; keeping his door locked whenever Goro was in it, only unlocking it when Goro needed the bathroom; and guarding the outside of said bathroom lest the detainee tried something funny like taking a sharp turn for the staircase into the unknown.

The window by the mirror was too narrow to fit a human skull so he could just forget about escaping through there. When he tried peeping out between the panes, he noticed the angle of them only allowed him to see the wall directly opposite his current block. If he was hoping these panes were adjustable, then he was out of luck. The only other places with windows would be his and Ken’s rooms, both of which had the scenic view of a luxurious garden and the mansion they were apparently in surrounding it.

From what he could tell, his allocated block was indeed disconnected from what he assumed was the main one on the opposite side of the garden. Every door was guarded by one or two people in suits, not dissimilar to those of maids and butlers, and something told Goro that he would be tragically careless to assume that all they could do was stand around and trim roses. Chances were that they were more than capable guards and all the security Kirijo needed in addition to Ken’s and Aigis’s watch on him.

If this were a palace, Goro would be in his Metaverse outfit; he would be armed with his Persona if not his sword and gun. However, this was not a palace - _ this was reality _. He was unarmed, injured, in pain, and under the constant threat of being chased and outrun with what little leeway his given surveillance allowed him. It would be wise for him to wait until he fully recovered before trying anything crazy.

Fast forward to the first week of February; in most recent news, people were going on and on about the case of the Phantom Thieves; their achievements, their downfalls, their rights, and their wrongs. More recently, they were expressing worry and excitement with the ever-growing support for the release of the Phantom Thief leader and undoing the mark on his record as evidence backing him up had been discovered to prove his innocence for a previous crime that he was wrongfully accused of.

That was all well and good. In addition to the good news, Goro was finally released from the confines of his arm sling and freed from the boundary that was his floor, albeit only if he was accompanied by Ken or Aigis; not even a nurse would do this time. As such, the staircase he was so curious about whenever he made a trip to the bathroom was now available to him as long as Ken was feeling gracious enough to walk him up and down the block. Aigis was more generous with her time and energy, allowing him access to the gardens just short of where Kirijo’s main staff - her maids and butlers - would scurry about.

That being said, Aigis was really only available from dusk to dawn. Ken was awfully good at keeping him active in the day, quite definitely with the intention of tiring him out so he would not miss out on sleep to explore the darkened halls with Aigis, chancing a getaway. Goro had called the other boy out on this once only to receive a shrug of feigned ignorance. Again, and ever so annoyingly, Ken was quick to point out the errors in his plans.

“I’d like to see you try and outrun Aigis,” Ken had scoffed at the initial accusation, not even bothering to hide his amusement when he added, “In the pitch blackness. _ In your state _.”

_ Right _ , of course Aigis’s “ _ humanity _ ” had limits; so _ kind _ of Ken to remind him.

That aside, Ken’s method of keeping Goro occupied was apparently - _ but not exactly unwelcome _ \- to have him entertain some puppies. Albino Shibas. Three of them, no older than four to five months. _ They were really cute _. The brunet was far from upset about taking care of puppies regardless of his recovering injuries, he was just miffed by the fact that Ken was bringing these high-energy fluffballs into his space with his own ulterior motives. It really took the adorableness out of the whole situation.

“I know they’re just pet names but,” said Goro as his first comment when Ken had introduced the pups, “Roka, Koda and Toka; _ Really _?”

The Operative only shrugged, as if he heard that complaint a million times before already, “The lady who runs the dorm I stay in named them. She just called them whatever was at the top of her head at the time, then Aigis started calling them that without question and, well, it just _ stuck _ after that.”

Ken had brought in the three dogs after promising Kirijo and Sanada that he could manage them, as well as Goro who would be helplessly roped into joining him due to the pups’ curiosity towards strangers. The necessary supplies were brought into the Operatives’ room inside a metal cabinet the size of his bookshelf; equipment like toys and a large bed for the dogs was placed next to Ken’s own in the corner of the room where the window was. The arrangement was made with Goro’s daily visits to the other boy’s room in mind.

“Only a _ real _ monster could resist these little guys,” Ken stated with a self-satisfied smirk as he watched the former detective’s hand hover nervously above Toka’s head, unsure if he should pet her at first.

To which, Goro clicked his tongue but gave Ken the win this time, settling himself to pet all of the Shibas.

Introductions seemed to be going by fast as Sanada soon made a casual appearance by their - _ Ken’s _, but it might as well be both of theirs at this point - room to collect the pups for a much-needed run in the big garden outside. It had been a while since he saw the policeman in person, the last time being the last interrogation he had with the three big shots about two weeks ago. The interrogations were a regular thing but Goro had proven to be a hard nut to crack when it came to the information they were truly looking for. The boy in question was quite proud of that.

Of all their meetings, however, Goro never could recall a time he saw Sanada smiling - smirking, in fact. So when this hulk of a man in a red hoodie and sweatpants came in one evening, inviting to take the dogs who greeted him so very happily in return, the former detective was at a loss for words. As if sensing his surprise, and making matters worse, the older man snapped his eyes at the freshly-recovered patient who was reading a magazine on the far corner of the room where he sat with Toka.

“Hey, you look well,” he noted with some sort of satisfaction in his voice, a strange grin on his face which only barely warned Goro of what was to come when he asked, “I reckon it’s been a while since you put those legs of yours to actual use. Why don’t all six of us go out for a run together?”

“...Six?” was all the detainee could utter past the ridiculous invitation.

“Akihiko-san, his ribs and shoulder only recently recovered!” Ken scolded from where he stood up from the stacks of manga at his feet, “We don’t want him bedridden again if we can help it.”

Sanada only clicked his tongue and retorted, “You’re sounding more and more like Mitsuru. Lighten up, he doesn’t need to strain his upper body that much to _ run _. Heck, I’ll even slow down if it helps!”

While Goro was not opposed to exercise, he could not seem to help the chill that went down his spine at the officer’s words. It was like that time Aigis explained how torture was not something the Operatives normally took part in, what with their usual work being sufficient in getting criminals to be compliant. There was a story about how the white-haired man in red wrestled a bear with his bare hands at some point. The disregard for “normal” human limits from a superhuman like Officer Sanada Akihiko was something Goro was too late in fearing.

Toka hopped up from beside Goro to join her siblings who jogged at Sanada’s feet where he had turned to leave the room for the garden outside. He said nothing more to convince the other two boys to join him but his expectations were already made clear as day. Ken could only offer Goro an apologetic sigh as he got up and gathered his water bottle by the desk and face towel in his wardrobe, not needing to change seeing as he was already in an orange hoodie and sweats. All that was left was for Goro to follow him out the door.

Before properly setting out for their run, Akihiko made a quick detour to the “_ locker room back in the office _” - so that existed - where he kept a spare pair of sneakers. He did not seem to care what would become of the white blouse and pants Goro currently had on from the nurses this morning; neither did Ken, for that matter, who looked about done with dissuading Sanada from his nonsense and leaving Goro to his fate. To his side, the pups were barking with great enthusiasm as they waited for their mark. To his other side, was Aigis.

“I’ll be at your side throughout the duration of this exercise,” she supplied ever-so-helpfully with a full water bottle and face towel in hand, along with an ever-so-kind smile on her face, “Should you fall before completing it, I will also be there to collect your body.”

_ Great. Fantastic. Just what he needed _.

Goro braced himself as Sanada started his stopwatch.

\---

“_ Fifteen laps around the parameter of the garden _,” said Sanada, halving the usual number of laps he ran on the daily; as if it made running even five of those laps any easier.

At eight laps, Goro was about ready to collapse back into another coma with Ken also looking worse for wear. The latter could probably manage another two rounds around this hellscape of a running track, but Goro was not gonna make another kilometre because it _ will _ kill him. As welcoming as death was before this all started, the self-induced torture made it far from worth it. Another pup ran past him and Aigis - _ who followed leisurely behind his wobbly form _ \- when the boy decided he had just about had it.

“Aigis, take him over to the fountain area, will you?” Ken, being helpful for once, ordered the blonde android mid-jog, “Make sure he stretches out his legs and showers before retiring back to his room for tonight.”

“Understood,” she approved with a robotic nod, using her free hand to support Goro’s good arm - the one with only burn scars leftover - to walk him inside the garden.

They arrived at the fountain where Goro took a moment to even out his breathing before sitting down upon the cold marble to stretch his legs. He was careful not to pull the once-torn muscle of his right shoulder, or pressing against his chest too hard when he leaned down to reach his feet. He managed to touch a little past his knees without causing pain, holding his position as sweat dripped from his chin and growing hair.

The brown strands were halfway over his ear now, still in that lame bowl-cut the nurses gave him when he came to although it was getting just a tad messier from the length, a few locks already sticking out by themselves as the weeks passed. At the moment, with all the sweat drenching his scalp, he could only imagine how much of it plastered to his face and how much was just flying everywhere.

The routine of warming down was still etched into his damaged muscles, spending a good few minutes to make sure they did not start screaming in pain for the next few days. He downed the remaining gulps of water left in his bottle, wiping down his face and neck with the towel tied around it. The blouse and pants he had on were absolutely soaked and he swore he could see through his top to view the burn scars underneath. If not for how baggy his pants were, he probably would have seen through that too.

Marching back up the stairs to the floor where his room was, they stopped at the bathroom where Aigis told him to go ahead and wash up, a fresh set of clothes ready for him by the vanity which Ken had the nurses arrange prior to their run. Closing the door behind him, Goro inspected the white garments folded neatly into a uniform stack; the same kind of blouse, the same kind of pants and the same brand of undergarments. Yes, _ brand _. Whether it was a form of hospitality or the Kirijo Group simply had no sense of non-quality materials, Goro might never know. Nevertheless, he was grateful.

Impromptu meetings and missions had long trained him to be quick with his bathing, the short strands upon his dirty scalp doing even less to hinder his progress as he found himself cleaned and changed within five minutes tops. He met Aigis, who stood still as a statue until she turned to acknowledge him, just outside the door. She walked him back to his room and took her position in the shadows of the opposite corner of the room when he pulled the covers over himself.

It was usually much harder to sleep with the knowledge that Aigis was staring at him unblinkingly through the night but tonight was one of the few exceptions. Exhausted to his very bones, Goro slipped into a dreamless slumber, having easily the best rest he had ever had in a long time without counting his coma. If Ken entered his room to check on him that night, he would neither know nor care.

\---

“_ You’ve been coddling him quite a bit _,” Naoto pointed out immediately after the last interrogation that month, stopping Ken at the stairwell near his room, “It’s not something I’ve witnessed myself more than it is what I can infer from Aigis and the requests you’ve been asking of her.”

Ken had no idea what the Detective Prince could possibly have meant, dubiously echoing back, “...‘_ Coddling him’ _?”

Naoto took that as her cue to list all the things Aigis had informed them about. From having Aigis wake Akechi up when he seemed to be having a bad dream; to having a nurse check on him if he was absently pressing at his shoulder or chest where they were once injured; to allowing him a walk around the garden at night if he had trouble sleeping. All that, among other things. The detective looked up at Ken expectantly, as if he even had an answer for his peculiar actions.

“I was just doing my job,” he lied, not even entirely conscious that he did.

His _ job _ was to “ _ keep the detainee company _”, nothing more and nothing less. No one stopped him from being accommodating as long as he withheld all confidential information but that was because no one expected it of him either. Naoto also made sure to share an observation from the blonde android herself that Akechi seemed far more at ease around Ken than he was everyone else. They understood that “everyone else” was hardly competition at that point in time but the fact that Akechi was at ease at all was something worthy of note.

It did nothing to stop him from putting on airs during interrogations but everyone was simply glad that the boy was integrating into some form of a comfortable life, if nothing else. Mitsuru’s goal, first and foremost, was to rehabilitate Akechi into society despite the life he had been born with and the one he eventually threw himself into that landed him in that tree they found him in that day.

“Believing him to be a heartless, ruthless murderer is_ our _ job as investigators,” were Naoto’s parting words as they clasped a firm hand on Ken’s reassuringly, “You need not think the same if it means giving him another chance.”

The hand fell back to their side.

“_ You chose this job for a reason, didn’t you? _”

Thinking back, Ken could not help but feel a bit guilty. The truth was: no, he did not know exactly the reason why he chose this job; keeping watch on a murderer who may, or may not, be involved with the Collective Unconscious and another of its nests. Perhaps he thought he was being helpful in taking on a job that seemed minor enough for an auxiliary member like himself.

As it turned out, he just ended up giving Aigis a bunch of orders rather than doing them himself because he figured Aigis would be better at noticing minute things like Akechi fidgeting with a sore area over his chest. Ken would not put it past even the Shiba triplets to be able to pick up on the patient’s discomfort at any given time. Aigis and the pups seemed like a pretty solid team in keeping Akechi in line and intact, so where did that leave Ken?

_ Was barking out orders all that Ken was good for _?

Regardless of his insecurities, time marched on. Valentine’s Day arrived, as did the tutor Mitsuru had decided to hire for Akechi; the one and only leader of the Investigation Team from Inaba, Narukami Yu. The silver-haired man had experience, was easy to confide in and his stoic demeanour made him seem reliable, along with his overflowing charisma. Ken half expected to be benched once more upon the man’s arrival, but there was no word from Mitsuru.

Yu had taken up private tutoring in the city after helping out in Inaba for a while, hoping his return to the concrete garden would build his reputation and that he may receive a more substantial income. He was happy tutoring the kids back in the countryside but no one really cared to pay all that much for their kid to do well in a more relaxed environment like Yasogami - in comparison with Tokyo and other big cities, at least. The man still did free tutoring for his little cousin, Nanako, whenever he visited them, of course.

Being hired by Kirijo Mitsuru herself was probably an opportunity he would be a fool to pass up.

“Akechi Goro, right?” the tall man with silver-grey hair in a tousled not-quite-a-bowl-cut greeted from the door of Ken’s room - _ where Akechi was simply expected to be at this point _ \- with a composed smile, “I’m Narukami Yu. I’ve been assigned to tutor you from today onwards.”

Akechi stared at the man at the door, dubiously uttering, “..._ Pardon _?”

The boy’s reaction was understandable. It was only the previous day that they heard of the Phantom Thieves’ leader’s release from jail due to the accusation of his initial crime that landed him in probation at all being proven false. The overwhelming support from the public was definitely no small factor in his pardon. It was just big news after bigger news.

“I was informed that you would like to pursue a career in writing,” Yu explained as he unfolded the stool by the bookshelf and sat down, “I’m here to help you look through the schools and diplomas that will help you reach that goal, and then your lessons for the respective exams will commence.”

Akechi only continued to stare, his bewilderment evident when he pointed out, “...Entrance exams should have been in January.”

“Mitsuru-san pulled some strings,” Ken said, like it was obvious, “Your exam will take place in late March, under the condition that you took an interview a little before that. As for Mitsuru’s _ personal _ conditions for you, you’ll need to come out as the top 10% in your class every year after you’re enrolled.”

_ Harsh _, not that Goro really expected to be enrolled with so little time to prepare.

The former detective really had to wonder what the redhead’s goal was for pulling this stunt. Rehabilitation, from the sounds of it. Sending him to school was far from imprisonment, so that was the only other possibility; great, so he was in _ that guy’s _ shoes now. The true intentions of the Shadow Operatives continue to evade him; or rather, they continue to brush past only to slip through his fingers right when he thought he had it.

Goro shook his head. There was a far more pressing question on his mind.

“Isn’t she afraid that people would recognise me?” he asked, “The detective idol that went missing on Election Day?”

At that, Ken looked up at Narukami, Narukami back at Ken. The younger boy returned his gaze to Goro who sat on the edge of the bed expectantly.

“The interview I mentioned earlier was arranged to test a hypothesis,” he said, “Naoto-san noticed something particularly disturbing regarding your… presence. In particular, on the media.”

A beat of silence.

“...Yes?” the brunet on the bed prompted.

Ken obliged with a sharp exhale, “Here. _ Look at these _.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> idr where i was going with the dog names except that they had numbers 1, 2 and 3 in them, i think. those names were in the drafts from another fic for who-knows-how-long  
anyway, i apologise if story is progressing slowly, i never was very good getting to the main plot. yes, this isn't even half my pow-- i mean, we'll get to the good stuff eventually.  
thx for being patient thus far u_u


	6. Tightrope Walk

The Operative took his laptop off from his desk, fidgeting with the touchpad as he opened a new window. Once he was done, he passed it on to Goro who placed it on his lap and proceeded to look through the opened tabs on screen. They were news articles. From Election Day, to the week the Operatives found him, to their present day. Goro had nary a clue as to how looking through all these articles was supposed to answer his earlier inquiry.

It took a while, but he very quickly noticed it as he skimmed through the individual headlines.

On the week he went missing, there were numerous articles about his unknown whereabouts; police were looking for him, police found nothing, police continued looking, and then…  _ Nothing _ . The day he was found at the Diet Building, the day after the Phantom Thieves’ leader turned themself in; nothing. Not a photograph to be seen, not an article, not a single word was said about the “Missing Detective Idol, Akechi Goro”. Forget about his pride over being dismissed so easily without closure, this was just  _ strange _ .

“You see it, don’t you,” Narukami said more than he asked, “Or rather, you  _ don’t _ .”

“This was brought to our attention by another auxiliary member of ours when they brought you up in a conversation with their colleagues recently,” Ken recounted, scrolling through his phone, likely looking through past text conversations, “Despite knowing said colleague to be quite a fan and having expressed considerable concern over your disappearance prior to your discovery, she seemed confused at your  _ name _ and even asked who you were.”

“My cousin was quite a fan of yours as well, although my uncle - her father - was pretty skeptical,” Narukami chipped in, “A little after I got word of your arm recovering and the offer to come tutor you, I brought you up in a conversation with them; but they only nodded along as if you were just another acquaintance of mine.”

“Naoto-san had suspicions from day one, though,” Ken concluded, “Akihiko-san accidentally blurted out your name in the office when they were discussing your interrogation but absolutely no one paid him any mind. Your case was a particularly touchy one among the police, seeing as it was related to the Phantom Thieves. It made no sense that  _ nobody _ would at least ask questions.”

Goro swallowed, “So, this interview…”

Shirogane’s hypothesis was that Operatives like Ken and Narukami would recognise him, while regular folk would not. Thus, the interviewer would not bat an eye when they see Goro in person; on the other hand, there will be a former Operative who has heard of him - but not of his current status - who would recognise him right away. The interview itself was required by the school but it did not make it less of a perfect opportunity to test the waters.

He wanted to ask what this test was supposed to prove but the answer was obvious:  _ it meant they were alike _ . Goro and the Shadow Operatives; the Shadow Operatives and the Phantom Thieves, they were alike. The first to admit it was the first to lose, though. The first to admit that Shadows - Personas - exist was the last to make demands. The former detective would like to avoid another Phantom Thieves dispute if he could help it.

If the hypothesis was proven to be true, it meant that only people like the Shadow Operatives could remember and properly identify Goro. Shirogane had made themself very clear that they suspected Goro to be the same as the people of the Shadow Operatives - whatever that meant, no one was about to say - and also that he was ultimately on the Phantom Thieves’ side. Putting two and two together would not be too hard after that, as long as someone else outside his group of captives recognised him.

If the test was a success, Goro would become a walking Phantom-Thief-detector.

Goro did not bother looking up at the two when he tried, “I don’t suppose I can refuse.”

Ken shifted above his sight - probably shook his head - and curtly replied, “Nope.”

With a sigh of resignation, he tilted his head to Narukami who got the hint quickly enough to start unpacking the suitcase in his hand. He pulled out a few papers while Ken pulled out some stationery of his own to write with, settling them on the low table on the floor in the centre of the room. Goro got off the bed to sit cross-legged on one side while Narukami sat opposite him with Ken idling in the corner with his phone. Once everyone was comfortable, the lesson began.

\---

The hours flew by fast and, before they knew it, the next day arrived and there was knocking at the door during their second tuition session. Ken got up from the comfort of his bed to answer it, calling out to whoever was at the door that he was present whilst the other two barely raised their heads to acknowledge the visitor. Narukami was looking through some papers for a future lesson. His student was busy filling up the exercise for the day. An (un)familiar voice at the door finally manages to break their concentration.

“Happy - belated - Valentine’s Day!” the voice greeted cheerily, making Goro look up from his assignment and Narukami to crane his neck to look back where a woman threw her arms over Ken’s shoulders, “Sorry I couldn’t come by yesterday, Mitsuru said getting the teacher and student acquainted took priority so… Oh!”

Caramel-brown eyes landed on Goro and the woman released an unfazed Ken in favour of approaching the aforementioned “student”, her short hair bouncing a little with each poised step. She dressed lightly in a pastel pink blouse and light blue jeans, a peach jacket and white scarf for the lingering winter hanging off one arm. Goro hardly had any time to follow any shows on TV or online before, but he would have to have been living under a rock to not know who this lady was.

“You’re…!” he felt his breath catch in recognition, as he identified, “ _ Takeba Yukari _ ?”

The actress grinned widely at his awe, a dust of pink on her fair cheeks. Behind her, Ken was barely hiding a smirk and Narukami remained as stone-faced as usual at the obvious sparkle in Goro’s eyes. However, the glee on her face was short-lived as she seemed to give him a proper once-over, her eyes narrowing dangerously as they zeroed in on his face. Specifically, the _ left _ side.

The former detective idol hardly had time to brace himself apart from the telltale “oh no” from the door, where Ken quickly pursed his lips and looked everywhere else but at his detainee, when  _ the _ Takeba Yukari immediately got into his space to inspect his face. She knelt down to his eye-level and pulled out a fancy box that Goro explicitly recognises as a very popular - very  _ expensive _ \- makeup set that he once used himself back when he did interviews. Deja vu prickled his brain, holding his breath at the proximity of both the woman and foundation she was holding up.

“Who let you go out with your face like this?” she scolded, tone sharp but only biting as much as an overbearing mother might more than social media definitely would, “That awful haircut is one thing, but these dark patches are really gonna attract the wrong kind of attention! Do you  _ want  _ people to wonder what you’ve been up to?”

“Th-that’s…!” Goro tried weakly as concealer was frantically smeared and dabbed onto his face, the scarred area being particularly sensitive after so much care was put into _ not  _ touching it during his first months of being detained, “I’m not in publi-- I’m not  _ allowed _ to be in p…!”

Takeba barely ceased her work as she picked up a palette and started powdering his face, the particles effectively forcing the boy to close his mouth and shut up, as the veteran actress continued to nag, “Well, you’re about to! Mitsuru has personally put me in charge of your wardrobe for the rest of your stay, saying that it would be better than making you wear hospital garbs all the time. Of course, I’ll  _ also _ be overseeing your formal attire for your interview, but that’s a little later down the line. For now… we’re…  _ Done! _ ”

The former detective let out a heavy sigh as soon as the brunette backed off. He took a moment to process the information that was just dropped on him but was hauled up by an arm much stronger than it looked and pulled over to the body-length mirror on Ken’s wardrobe door. He looked up at his face, startled when he could not find the familiar scars on his face anymore, having grown used to seeing them every time he looked up at his reflection.

Suddenly he felt like he had gone back in time. His hair was a little messier than he remembered, but it was the same length; his eyes a little dark from school, work, and keeping his past under wraps; and the scarcity of the room around him.

Back to junior high…

...back when he had his first taste of  _ that world’s _ powe--

“You really don’t look that much different in and out of interviews, huh?” Takeba spoke up just then, snapping him out of his trance, “I mean, apart from the bed hair.”

Goro was given no time to respond as the lady had proceeded to order Ken to get ready to head out, then apologising to Narukami about disturbing their lesson - not that he was unable to do his own self-studying in the meantime. The silver-haired man assured her of this before getting up from his seat on the ground to head out as well. It seemed all four of them were heading out to the same place.

Narukami had a few pages of a textbook bookmarked for Goro to look through during the ride to wherever they were headed to; it was going to be a pretty long trip, after all. Walking out into the garden and into another block adjoined to the main building, Goro found himself being led down into a basement full of black limousines of varying lengths and sizes.  _ Did they all belong to the Kirijo Group? Did they even get to use all of them _ ?

They arrive at the far end of the vast parking space, spotting a car that was distinctly coloured from the rest; Narukami’s car with a paint job matching said man’s hair. It was also of a more familiar model than whatever Kirijo’s limousines were - a civilian vehicle that anyone could find in a regular parking lot, albeit still an uncommon, expensive sight. However, going into the vehicle, Goro was immediately proven wrong. A partition had been set up between the front seats and the back seats, not unlike a police car except that it also obscured the backseats’ view of the driver’s view.

Apprehensively, Goro got in and closed the door.

A little less than an hour had passed since they set out. Next to him, Ken had one ear plugged as he listened to music on his phone, legs crossed with his foot on his knee, bouncing to a beat unheard to Goro. Within the relatively large space of his tutor’s car, the two brunets sat at an arm’s distance from one another as they both gazed out the window that finally revealed the familiar streets of civilisation after about half an hour.

His tutor had made sure to install and use black screens to cover the windows for the first half of the trip upon coming out from the parking lot of Kirijo Mitsuru’s mansion, making it impossible for Goro to even guess the location of the place he had been detained in before. The doors were also locked just in case he had been ballsy enough to crack it open to peek or jump out in an attempt of foolish - _ and suicidal  _ \- escape. He instead passed the time studiously reading through his assigned pages.

With the blinds down, however, it was hard to keep his eyes on his book, considering he had not seen civilization in literal  _ months _ . Outside was not an area he was familiar with but, to be fair, he never did get to venture anywhere far from Tokyo due to Shido’s former monopoly over his schedule. Even before the shitshow that was being a detective idol, Goro never had the money nor means to leave the frantic city he had been born in. The unfamiliar colours of a new city, yet the familiarity of it that told him he was still in Japan - it was a curious feeling.

“Is this it?” the boy could not help but ask, still gazing out at the pavements where housewives and female students gathered in front of shops to catch Valentine’s week discounts.

Behind him, Ken was silent for a moment before eventually answering, “Nope, we’re headed for the city after this. Yukari-san has a photoshoot afterwards so we figured it was better to shop nearby.”

Goro barely took in the information as he simply continued to take in the scenery outside, a disinterested “huh” being his only acknowledgment of Ken’s response. The Operative did not mind this, a small smile teasing his own lips as he observed the child-like awe reflected upon his companion’s face; although he catches himself and immediately feels a dull ache in his chest; like it was not something he should be seeing.

Ken remembered what Naoto said, he knew this guilt he was feeling was mostly unwarranted. While he was indeed hanging around Akechi to ensure the detainee did not cause trouble, Ken was also aware that he was ultimately Akechi’s guide back into society; even if only because his age and gender made it convenient. No matter how much everyone else expanded on it being more than just convenience, it did not change the fact that it was their first, decisive reason.

That aside, Ken often wondered if Akechi ever bothered properly scouring “Ken’s room” enough to find the folder about himself. He did mention it the first time they met. That folder was slotted between some textbooks Ken did not actually need to read anymore, containing everything the Kirijo Group - under Mitsuru’s orders - had found out about Akechi: his past, his achievements, his movements in and out of orphanages and foster care, along with what happened with his family.

It included things about Shido Masayoshi, as well. Ken did not doubt that Akechi might have some interest in that piece of information at least. The man did go through great lengths to hide his relation to the former idol detective, as did the detective himself - that Ken had questions about but had no way to ask without stepping on a landmine - which made it something worth keeping in mind when thinking of Akechi’s motives.

Mitsuru had been really curious about Ken’s take on the other’s situation, considering all that they discovered and his own experience. She did not expect a full answer, not wishing to pick at old wounds, but Ken preferred to think that he was stronger than that -  _ and he was _ \- so he gave it proper thought.

His initial, and simplest answer would be for revenge. The theatrics of getting up close and personal felt a bit much but, recalling the stage he had set up for his own mother’s killer all those years ago, he supposed he should not bother questioning it. If Akechi had been going through anything similar to Ken, then morality was a small price to pay at the end of it all. The murders he undertook, the families and futures he took away, were just means to an end.

Ken knew it was terrible, he knew he should be sickened - and he was - but he had been there before; no matter how nice or repentant that man was towards him, Ken could not - refused to - let all he had done be in vain. Because society would not deal justice to the unjustified, he had to do it himself.  _ Otherwise, who would _ ?

Considering such a plan up to the moment when all obstacles of Shido’s were cleared, Ken shuddered to think that Akechi might have also come to the same conclusion he did. It was a measly compensation for all that he took away, but what were morals and even-exchange to him at that point? All that mattered to the detective by then would have been gone. His purpose had already been fulfilled.

_ Then, what about now _ ?

Just as Ken decided to chance another look at the boy next to him, he heard the doors  _ click _ and the felt the car shift from the two up front exiting the vehicle. He was vaguely aware of Akechi eagerly pushing the unlocked door open and hopping out while Ken fumbled his own way out, dazed. His head was muddled with dark thoughts but, when he looked over at the perpetrator himself, he could not bring himself to delve any deeper.

Akechi’s eyes sparkled under the sun despite having one of Ken’s hoodies pulled over his head. Such bright orange was a strange colour on him, despite always being seen in that khaki peacoat and dress pants every other time; the dark brown slacks from the Operative’s old wardrobe did nothing to help his image.  _ Whatever -- they were here to fix that _ .

“So, we’re here!” Yukari chirped, already browsing the women’s aisle the moment they entered the boutique, “Pick what you like but, since I’m the one paying, make sure they at least look good.”

The brunet ran them through the shopping list Mitsuru gave her: 3 sets of casual wear or sleepwear, 2 sets of sportswear, a set of smart casual attire, and a set of formal attire for the interview - which they would get to on a later date. That made 6 sets of clothes of tops and bottoms. The number of shops they would have to visit will vary depending on what looked good more than what they cost which, by the actress’s standards, would likely be at least 6 shops worth of exploration.

Ken himself did not need to get anything but his presence would no doubt be taken advantage of with empty hands. The Operative had no particularly refined sense for fashion, but he at least trusted himself to know what “bad” looked like enough to stop the guy from buying anything stupid. Not that he needed to worry about a former idol--

“That’s a really bright red,” Ken found himself saying before he could help himself.

Akechi had in his hand a simple hoodie of bright crimson not dissimilar to a cliche hero’s cape. Ignoring the judging undertone of Ken’s statement, Akechi removed his orange hoodie in favour of trying out the red one. Perhaps it was because of the hue of his eyes but, no matter how bright the red was, it suited him surprisingly well.

Ken was not entirely sure what came over him when he criticised, “You can’t be serious, right? You’re gonna attract way too much attention.”

“Eh, red isn’t  _ that _ unusual a colour,” Akechi deflected easily, the smirk evident on his lips warning enough when he then said, “You’re just upset because I happen to pull it off better than you.  _ Just like your favourite superheroes on TV _ .”

“D-don’t be ridiculous,” Ken sputtered, catching himself only enough to keep his voice down, “Anyway, while I doubt Yukari-san will mind getting you that, a hoodie doesn’t count as part of the list since it’s worn on the outside. If you can’t find what you need here, she’s just going to bring us to another shop so please make it quick.”

Goro only hummed in response. He did not want to leave so soon but he supposed Takeba had her own schedule to attend to, so he best just make a quick tour and compile whatever before checkout. Judging from the selection, smart casual and casual attire could be checked off first. The hoodie he pulled off the hanger was really only to get on Ken’s nerves but there was no harm in getting it if he felt particularly cold or just lazy to dress himself one day.

Narukami was with Takeba. Goro attempted to eavesdrop but there was nothing of interest, so he quickly tuned them out and went on his way. The actress had no problem with Goro’s choices apart from finding them rather plain-looking. However, after hearing his reasons, she just shrugged with a dismissive “makes sense” and bought them for him. She seemed to be in a hurry -  _ must be time for her shoot soon _ .

In the end, most of his clothes consisted of greys, whites, varying shades of red, and darker oranges rather than the bright orange Ken tended to wear. There were plenty of fashionable coats, scarves, and hats on display but Goro did not foresee himself going out often enough to warrant such pretty things. He liked to think himself a practical person but it really was just so he could maintain a low profile.

A shame. They have some really nice things here.

If Shirogane’s hypothesis was true, then he would want to stand out as little as possible lest  _ some _ people picked him out from the crowd. Goro’s guess was that the Thieves assumed him dead, except their leader who was one of peculiar beliefs; if anyone would reach out to even a ghost of the former detective, it was  _ him _ . S _ hould he be flattered, or worried? _

Maybe he should have gotten something nice after all. If he was lucky, that guy would actually believe that he was only glimpsing a pretty daydream and Goro could make a quick getaway before Ken or any Operative took notice. Alas, that relied a bit too much on Lady Luck; and that one has never ever been particularly nice to Goro so he would loathe having to put any trust in her now.

After dropping off Takeba at her photoshoot location, the remaining three made their way back to the mansion. The black screens were back up again. Goro must have nodded off partway because Ken was shaking him awake by the shoulder, informing him that they had arrived. Upon returning to his room, Goro put down his newly-purchased clothes, taking one set with him before being escorted to the bathroom to wash up.

He took a cold shower in hopes to wake himself up - he had lessons later, after all - and maybe last the rest of the day. There was no running today but walking around the mall really did drain him. He supposed it has been awhile. A  _ long _ while, but it still surprised him. Mind drifting, Goro wondered again if he really needed to tire himself out like this.  _ Should he even be here _ ?

The detainee stepped out to dry himself off, throwing on brand new threads that still smelled like the shelf he pulled them off of just about an hour ago. This sort of thing was a luxury he never should have had lived long enough to experience, not something he wanted to have in a situation like this. Part of him was itching to just rip each and every colourful fibre apart then and there.

_ Better yet _ ...

Goro looked himself in the mirror, leaning himself over the vanity with hands on either side of the sink. He considered breaking the glass - once, twice - before he slumped his shoulders and left for the door where Ken awaited him outside. If it were Aigis, he figured it would take no longer than a second before the blonde barged in and suppressed him after the initial shatter of glass. He had no proof of her having such capabilities but it was not hard to imagine. She was trained for dangerous missions like plane hijackings, after all.

Ken, on the other hand, was human. The most human one of everyone in this facility, as far as Goro could tell. The young - youngest, probably - Operative had good speed and stamina as seen during their runs with Akihiko, he was quick-witted as he handled the chaos that was some rowdy puppies on a daily basis, but it was hard to imagine him having much else solely on what the detainee had observed up until now. Compared to his only other escort in the building, he was far less of a threat to him.

His quick-wittedness wouldn’t help him bust a solid door down in one kick, at least.

After deliberating over his success rate this much,  _ why hesitate _ ? Goro asked himself the same question as he waited for Narukami to begin his assessment, feeling too physically comfortable to be mentally at ease. His eyes wandered as seconds ticked by, finding home on the brunet in question who was running a hand through Koda’s fur in an attempt to lull him to sleep like his other siblings.

There was a question at the tip of Goro’s tongue but he feared that asking it would reveal more of his own fears than his detainer’s. He made that mistake with Aigis already. Perhaps he was developing some form of Stockholm Syndrome -  _ as if this was the first time _ , he thought in reminisce. At least that time, he pulled the trigger. Contrary to the thinker that the idol detective was, Goro never did like second-guessing.

When the lesson ended and the door clicked shut, Goro turned around to where Ken sat on his bed.


End file.
